1 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,440 This is a story of Britain... 2 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:09,200 but a Britain that we rarely see. 3 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:13,200 Britain as an undiscovered country. 4 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:15,440 We're travelling from the south of England 5 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:18,040 to the far north of Scotland, exploring the best 6 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:20,240 the British countryside has to offer. 7 00:00:20,240 --> 00:00:23,320 We'll be taking the long way round because this journey 8 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:25,200 is about getting off the beaten track. 9 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:29,600 'We're going in search of the secret...' 10 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:33,120 It's absolutely amazing. 11 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:34,720 'The forgotten... 12 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:37,280 'The unexpected.... 13 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:41,560 'The lost treasures of our landscapes.' 14 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:42,720 Oh, man, honestly, 15 00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:45,080 I cannot stop smiling. 16 00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:50,240 'We asked you to share secret places - 17 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:54,360 'the little known, the deserted, the hard to get to...' 18 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:57,800 Oh, I'm hooked in ivy. Urgh. 19 00:00:57,800 --> 00:00:59,680 Where have you brought me? 20 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:03,440 'And we'll be sharing our own hidden gems.' 21 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:05,840 Look at this for a view. 22 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:07,400 Absolutely extraordinary. 23 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:13,120 'Over four weeks, we're journeying through the last great wildernesses 24 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:14,840 'of our amazing country, 25 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:19,320 'the place we call home.' 26 00:01:19,320 --> 00:01:22,160 So this is it. 27 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:26,040 'We're looking to reclaim the hidden and the overlooked, 28 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:28,120 'to find the pieces of our history 29 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:30,960 'that might have slipped between the cracks.' 30 00:01:30,960 --> 00:01:32,240 This is incredible. 31 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:36,200 'Secrets kept in shadow, waiting for their moment in the sun.' 32 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:40,200 'Every road taken is an opportunity to explore.' 33 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:43,160 Oh, hey! 34 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:44,960 Oh, yes! 35 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:48,960 This is Secret Britain. 36 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:03,920 In our journey through Britain, 37 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:06,720 we've already discovered that it's possible 38 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:09,520 to find true wilderness in the crowded south. 39 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:12,000 This is absolutely incredible. 40 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:13,480 What a spot. 41 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:17,920 Now we're on the second leg of our epic adventure, 42 00:02:17,920 --> 00:02:21,400 and this time, we're travelling from the flatlands of the East 43 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:25,320 right across to the wild and rugged Welsh coast. 44 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:27,600 We're each taking very different routes 45 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:29,440 across England's hidden heart, 46 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:34,280 looking for secret Britain in the land of incredible contrast. 47 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:43,080 And I'm starting here - the Norfolk Broads. 48 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:48,320 This is Britain's largest protected wetland, 49 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:52,680 a stunning 188 square miles of lakes and rivers. 50 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:59,960 It's easy to forget that this watery wilderness is all man-made, 51 00:02:59,960 --> 00:03:04,400 the result of excavations that began over 1,000 years ago. 52 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:09,600 This whole area was once manually dug for peat, 53 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:13,560 and when sea levels rose it all naturally flooded, 54 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:18,600 creating this waterscape of reeds, windmills, boats and utter peace. 55 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:24,960 Sailing along here isn't just the best way to see the quieter parts 56 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:27,120 of the Broads - it's the only way. 57 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:33,880 Although these waters can get busy with over 12,000 boats each year, 58 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:38,640 I'm looking for the one part of the Broads that's hardly ever visited. 59 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:43,760 A real treat, right off the beaten track. 60 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:48,160 Somewhere hidden behind this reed bed is an island, 61 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:51,240 but because of these reeds, 62 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:55,080 it looks so similar to everything else, you'd never know it was there. 63 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:57,760 It's one of Norfolk's best kept secrets. 64 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:02,280 It's known as Heigham Holmes. 65 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:05,600 Even from the air, 66 00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:09,960 it's hard to see amongst the narrow channels and tall reed beds, 67 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:12,480 but these 500 acres are truly cut off, 68 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:16,960 as getting on to this secret island is far from straightforward. 69 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:19,760 Thankfully, farmer John Stafford knows the way. 70 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:25,120 - John, how are we doing? All right? - Not too bad. How are you? 71 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:26,840 I'm very good. I tell you what, 72 00:04:26,840 --> 00:04:29,600 I'm very, very intrigued about this bridge here. 73 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:31,640 Is it a bridge? Is that what you call it? 74 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:33,560 The locals know it as Martham Ferry, 75 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:35,560 but it actually is a floating bridge. 76 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:40,280 - First, we'll unlock it. - Yeah. So we're all padlocked. 77 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:43,800 Then we pull... 78 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:46,520 ..this chain here. 79 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:48,920 Right, so we just literally grab the chains 80 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:50,400 and pull ourselves across? 81 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:51,920 Yes. 82 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:56,360 - It hinges... - In that corner. - ..from that point. 83 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:01,880 'It's one of just 13 floating bridges in the country, 84 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:04,720 'and it's the only way onto this island.' 85 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:07,040 It's a brilliant bit of kit, this. 86 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:10,320 And how long have you been doing this for? How many years? 87 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:11,840 Oh... 88 00:05:11,840 --> 00:05:13,960 - 25 years. - 25 years? 89 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:18,560 'There's one last trick to this unusual bridge.' 90 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:20,680 Here we go. 91 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:23,840 Here comes the tipping point. 92 00:05:23,840 --> 00:05:26,600 Gently does it. Brilliant. 93 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:28,800 Absolutely superb. 94 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:31,200 I tell you what, who needs modern technology 95 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:34,120 when you've got something that's as brilliant as that? 96 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:36,440 - It's idiot-proof, isn't it? - MATT CHUCKLES 97 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:41,000 'And that's how you unlock the secret of Heigham Holmes. 98 00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:48,640 'This island was once private farmland, 99 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:51,600 'but since the National Trust bought it in 1987, 100 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:55,080 'it's open to visitors for just one day every September. 101 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:01,680 'For the rest of the year, 102 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:04,960 'Heigham Holmes is a wildlife refuge and pasture. 103 00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:12,880 'The only other visitor is the island's warden, Stephen Prowse.' 104 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:15,880 It's certainly a very quiet spot. 105 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:17,680 Not a lot of people know it's here. 106 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:20,480 - I had a job finding it. - Yes, you won't be alone in that. 107 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:23,040 Many of the locals in the village just up the road 108 00:06:23,040 --> 00:06:26,560 had no idea it was here when we started having our annual open day. 109 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:29,040 So we manage it as a sanctuary. 110 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:30,280 The Broads is, perhaps, 111 00:06:30,280 --> 00:06:33,120 one of the last wilderness areas in southern England. 112 00:06:33,120 --> 00:06:35,840 Heigham Holmes is one of the remotest parts of that. 113 00:06:35,840 --> 00:06:37,320 It's really rather special. 114 00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:42,160 Once a shallow hill rising out of the Fens, 115 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:45,320 Heigham Holmes became cut off as the rivers rose. 116 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:49,920 Over the years, its banks have been built up 117 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:51,840 to stop the pastures from flooding, 118 00:06:51,840 --> 00:06:55,880 so now much of the island actually lies below sea level. 119 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:00,760 And it does seem to arc a little bit, does it? 120 00:07:00,760 --> 00:07:04,080 Yes, that's right. I say the upland - people laugh - 121 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:05,880 but it's a metre above sea level. 122 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:08,000 The whole site resembles a fried egg. 123 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:10,640 You've got the white, which is the low-lying area, 124 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:11,960 which is below sea level, 125 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:14,720 and then you've got the high level, which is the yolk, 126 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:17,320 the little yellow bit, with the buildings. 127 00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:21,320 It was the island's inaccessibility 128 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:25,120 that led to this dairy farm being abandoned in the '60s. 129 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:30,800 Heigham Homes isn't just a secret in itself. 130 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:34,040 It holds a secret in its recent past. 131 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:38,800 We've got an aerial photograph of Heigham Holmes in 1946, 132 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:41,880 and here are the barns where we're at the moment. 133 00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:44,400 You can see there's evidence of a secret runway. 134 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:46,840 - A secret runway? - Yes, a secret runway here. 135 00:07:46,840 --> 00:07:48,560 This was used by 161 Squadron 136 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:51,920 as a forward landing strip during WWII. 137 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:55,560 From here, we think they flew agents and spies, 138 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:58,280 saboteurs, out to occupied Europe. 139 00:07:58,280 --> 00:08:00,840 Any idea why they used this island? 140 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:03,920 Basically, it was remote, and because of the floodbanks, 141 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:07,400 you couldn't see over, you couldn't see what was going on. 142 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:10,080 A pretty special place. It's seen a lot in its time. 143 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:13,560 - It has. - It looks really calm, as if nothing would go on at all. 144 00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:14,760 There are still people 145 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:17,440 who don't really believe there was ever a runway. 146 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:22,560 Even from above, there's no trace of that runway now. 147 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:27,800 - It's some tranquil spot. - Absolutely amazing. 148 00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:31,680 I can spend a whole day here without speaking to a single person, 149 00:08:31,680 --> 00:08:35,200 which is quite special in this part of the world. 150 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:37,440 You must love it here as the warden. 151 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:39,880 I do. I'm extremely privileged to be out here. 152 00:08:39,880 --> 00:08:42,920 You see a lot of wildlife, and you commune with nature. 153 00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:43,960 It's really good. 154 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:45,880 It's a place to get away from it all 155 00:08:45,880 --> 00:08:49,240 and do your work and go home with a satisfied grin on your face. 156 00:08:49,240 --> 00:08:53,360 The open grassland and big skies are quintessentially Norfolk, 157 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:56,800 but a hidden Norfolk, one that few people ever get to see. 158 00:08:56,800 --> 00:09:03,480 You really can sense the secrecy that inspired our spies to use it. 159 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:05,920 The wonderful thing is, 160 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:09,160 it still feels like a secret today. 161 00:09:15,800 --> 00:09:19,320 Heigham Holmes isn't the only secret of the East. 162 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:22,960 Time to leave the flatlands of Norfolk behind, travelling north 163 00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:26,480 to some of the more forgotten parts of Lincolnshire. 164 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:32,120 Lincolnshire has a reputation for being very flat, 165 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:33,680 but it's not that flat. 166 00:09:33,680 --> 00:09:36,520 I mean, I'm definitely going up a hill. 167 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:39,960 It's a little hill, but it IS a hill. 168 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:45,360 That's because I'm in the little-visited Lincolnshire Wolds. 169 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:47,200 Come on, dear. 170 00:09:47,200 --> 00:09:50,920 They're an expansive landscape of rolling chalk hills. 171 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:54,680 In fact, this is the highest spot in eastern England. 172 00:09:57,240 --> 00:09:59,480 It's a giant golf ball! 173 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:02,840 Claxby Radar Station at the top of the Wolds 174 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:05,440 adds a touch of mystery to the place. 175 00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:09,640 But I'm here to delve deeper 176 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:12,400 into another of Lincolnshire's unexpected wonders. 177 00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:20,160 The Humber estuary is to the north and the Wash is to the south, 178 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:24,240 but Lincolnshire is one of the driest counties in Britain. 179 00:10:24,240 --> 00:10:28,960 But in the depths of these chalk hills lies a hidden water world. 180 00:10:30,480 --> 00:10:33,800 'And the man who knows how to find it is Richard Chadd.' 181 00:10:33,800 --> 00:10:35,120 Hi, Richard. 182 00:10:35,120 --> 00:10:36,280 - How are you? - I'm fine. 183 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:39,520 - Welcome to Lincolnshire Wolds. - Thanks. Where are we heading? 184 00:10:39,520 --> 00:10:43,000 Down a chalk spring down here. It's deep and inaccessible and damp - 185 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:45,240 you'll need scruffy clothes and wellies. 186 00:10:45,240 --> 00:10:47,160 OK, I shall put exactly that on. 187 00:10:47,160 --> 00:10:52,240 'The hidden world we're off to find is a tiny chalk spring, 188 00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:57,000 'one of the most protected and rarest of habitats in Britain.' 189 00:10:57,000 --> 00:10:59,320 What's so special about this chalk spring? 190 00:10:59,320 --> 00:11:01,040 Well, you can see all around you, 191 00:11:01,040 --> 00:11:03,480 it's very intensively managed landscape. 192 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:06,840 This one is so deep and steep that it's probably untouched 193 00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:10,320 for hundreds of years, so it's been left to nature, really. 194 00:11:10,320 --> 00:11:14,200 'Richard is a scientist who monitors the health of these hidden springs.' 195 00:11:14,200 --> 00:11:17,160 - So through here? - Through here, yeah. - Lead the way. 196 00:11:17,160 --> 00:11:21,160 'And he's got permission to show me one that's on private land.' 197 00:11:21,160 --> 00:11:25,240 - Lots of nettles to battle through. - Absolutely. Bits of hawthorn, too. 198 00:11:25,240 --> 00:11:27,720 Watch yourself on those. 199 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:30,200 Suddenly we are... 200 00:11:30,200 --> 00:11:31,920 in deep, deep foliage. 201 00:11:31,920 --> 00:11:33,000 Yes, indeed. 202 00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:39,120 - You can see how steep it is. - Yep. Gosh. We're in the Lost Kingdom. 203 00:11:39,120 --> 00:11:40,160 That's it. 204 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:44,160 - It gets really steep here so you have to... - Where's the ladder? 205 00:11:44,160 --> 00:11:47,400 You could do with one of those! You have to use the ivy instead. 206 00:11:47,400 --> 00:11:48,920 Yep. 207 00:11:48,920 --> 00:11:51,440 Ooh. 208 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:53,920 And you can feel it's getting quite cold, too. 209 00:11:53,920 --> 00:11:56,120 Yeah, the temperature is dropping. 210 00:11:56,120 --> 00:11:59,640 You were not kidding when you said it's steep. Oh, I'm hooked in ivy. 211 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:01,280 Ugh. Oh. 212 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:09,600 Where have you brought me? 213 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:11,200 - HE CHUCKLES - And here we are. 214 00:12:17,840 --> 00:12:23,280 'Too steep to farm, this woodland is wild and natural. 215 00:12:23,280 --> 00:12:25,320 'It's a landscape in miniature.' 216 00:12:25,320 --> 00:12:28,960 So suddenly we've got all these ferns and lush species 217 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:32,480 that you wouldn't get anywhere but in this habitat, 218 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:34,600 I can see why you love it so much. 219 00:12:34,600 --> 00:12:38,120 It's fabulous. Nobody has messed with this for hundreds of years. 220 00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:40,800 It's a magical place, I think. 221 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:44,720 'And the reason it's here at all is this crystal-clear spring water.' 222 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:50,480 - Feel how cold it is. - Blimey. Yeah. 223 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:53,560 It's almost like having a remnant of the mountains 224 00:12:53,560 --> 00:12:55,960 in the middle of the English lowlands. 225 00:12:57,480 --> 00:12:59,840 'Chilled by its journey through the chalk, 226 00:12:59,840 --> 00:13:02,600 'the water emerges at a constant temperature 227 00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:04,240 'in both summer and winter, 228 00:13:04,240 --> 00:13:07,040 'helping the native flora, 229 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:10,640 'like these Hart's tongue ferns, to grow in abundance.' 230 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:15,440 There's liverworts and mosses on all the boulders around here. 231 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:18,640 Some of them...are quite nice. This one here. 232 00:13:18,640 --> 00:13:20,080 SHE SNIFFS 233 00:13:20,080 --> 00:13:21,840 Oooh, wow. 234 00:13:21,840 --> 00:13:24,440 - You can't quite describe what the smell is... - No. 235 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:25,720 ..but it's rather nice. 236 00:13:25,720 --> 00:13:27,840 What is it? It's a sort of muted mint. 237 00:13:27,840 --> 00:13:29,640 That's right, sort of. Yeah. 238 00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:32,160 It's called scented liverworts. 239 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:35,200 - Never smelt anything like that before. Very fresh. - It is. 240 00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:36,760 - It's not edible? - No. 241 00:13:36,760 --> 00:13:38,520 - Don't eat it. - Not as far as I know. 242 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:40,640 - I've never tried it. - We won't try it now. 243 00:13:42,760 --> 00:13:45,880 'Even though it's tricky to get down here, 244 00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:49,840 'these little ribbons show that we're not the only visitors.' 245 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:51,400 What are these? 246 00:13:51,400 --> 00:13:52,640 People have been here. 247 00:13:52,640 --> 00:13:56,440 People find this place very precious indeed for spiritual reasons. 248 00:13:56,440 --> 00:13:59,800 I guess you've got the water coming out the bones of the earth, 249 00:13:59,800 --> 00:14:01,000 so they've put these in. 250 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:04,400 I don't know what they mean, but it's a precious place to somebody. 251 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:11,600 Mind yourself - there's a little waterfall just here. 252 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:15,160 - A spring right here. - Oh, look. 253 00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:18,760 - It's a little one, but it's a waterfall. - It isn't exactly towering. 254 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:23,600 When I found this, I told somebody I'd found a little waterfall, and they didn't believe me. 255 00:14:23,600 --> 00:14:27,280 - You don't get waterfalls in Lincolnshire. - What's the definition? 256 00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:29,600 Within a habitat survey, the definition is 257 00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:32,800 the water has got to leave the rock face surface, which it does. 258 00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:36,400 It certainly does. And if it doesn't leave the rock face? 259 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:38,040 - It's called a chute. - A chute. 260 00:14:38,040 --> 00:14:41,240 - Yes. It's not exactly Niagara, but... - But it's something. 261 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:43,080 Especially for Lincolnshire. 262 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:51,520 'Although many of these natural water sources are on private land, 263 00:14:51,520 --> 00:14:53,960 'you can visit some of the 18 chalk streams 264 00:14:53,960 --> 00:14:56,720 'that flow throughout the Wolds.' 265 00:14:58,960 --> 00:15:02,080 'They add a beauty and a diversity to the landscape.' 266 00:15:06,360 --> 00:15:10,560 South of the soft springs and rolling hills of Lincolnshire 267 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:13,200 is another landscape shaped by chalk. 268 00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:20,360 A place where secret Britain can be found in our imaginations. 269 00:15:22,800 --> 00:15:27,600 In no time, they arrived through windy woods and at the ruin... 270 00:15:29,080 --> 00:15:32,400 'Author Carrie King has written a children's book 271 00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:38,080 'about a girl called Joni-Pip and her adventures in Barton Hills.' 272 00:15:38,080 --> 00:15:42,720 "Are you all right, Pops?" asked Joni-Pip anxiously... 273 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:45,000 This place relates to Joni-Pip's world - 274 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:46,760 she lives on the edge of a hill 275 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:50,400 and she spends lots of time up on the hills and in the woods 276 00:15:50,400 --> 00:15:53,280 and amongst the trees with her friends. 277 00:15:56,280 --> 00:15:58,280 The Circulites are fans of Joni-Pip. 278 00:15:58,280 --> 00:16:01,000 This place is actually a place which is in the book 279 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:03,280 and it's what we call our secret place, 280 00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:05,560 so we come here quite often to hang out. 281 00:16:05,560 --> 00:16:08,640 18, 19... 282 00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:11,640 They love to roam all over the countryside 283 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:15,120 and just have fun and play hide-and-seek. 284 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:17,840 Just like run around and mess about, shouting. 285 00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:24,680 They do the things children used to, and they act out parts of the book. 286 00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:28,000 I'm going to pretend to give it to Liam, and I hand it to you. 287 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:32,560 And they decide to go to their secret place, Barton Caves. 288 00:16:32,560 --> 00:16:35,880 - Barton Caves, our secret place. - That sounds fun. 289 00:16:39,200 --> 00:16:42,640 Barton Caves are actually not caves at all. 290 00:16:42,640 --> 00:16:48,760 They're just the roots of the trees, where the chalk has been worn away, 291 00:16:48,760 --> 00:16:52,440 and underneath the roots are these wonderful alcoves, almost - 292 00:16:52,440 --> 00:16:55,880 coves where I used to play as a little girl, 293 00:16:55,880 --> 00:16:58,360 and where children play today. 294 00:17:01,080 --> 00:17:04,760 A writer always writes to be read, 295 00:17:04,760 --> 00:17:07,360 and the most beautiful part about being a writer 296 00:17:07,360 --> 00:17:09,640 is when people really love, 297 00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:13,880 not just what you write but the places you write about, 298 00:17:13,880 --> 00:17:15,760 and it just gives me such a thrill 299 00:17:15,760 --> 00:17:18,000 to think these people just love it here 300 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:21,200 and they just want to come as much as they can. 301 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:24,360 It just is really exciting. 302 00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:31,920 Back on my journey, I'm entering the hidden heart of Britain. 303 00:17:31,920 --> 00:17:36,040 I'm just north of Leek, in the quieter corner of the Peak District. 304 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:44,000 A place full of forgotten treasures just waiting to be discovered. 305 00:17:45,520 --> 00:17:50,680 This is a landscape that promises to satisfy any superstition. 306 00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:54,160 I'm looking for a man. A hard man. 307 00:17:54,160 --> 00:17:56,920 A man made of stone. 308 00:17:56,920 --> 00:17:59,320 Where is he? 309 00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:02,280 There he is! 310 00:18:02,280 --> 00:18:06,480 Known as the Winking Man, this rock has a gleam in its eye 311 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:10,440 that's supposed to help women get pregnant - so the story goes. 312 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:15,760 This local character is part of a sharp gritstone escarpment 313 00:18:15,760 --> 00:18:18,920 that marks the south western edge of the Peak District. 314 00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:24,640 Named from the French word "roche", meaning rock, 315 00:18:24,640 --> 00:18:26,680 this ridge is known as the Roaches. 316 00:18:30,040 --> 00:18:35,360 It's a brooding world where nearly every boulder holds a legend. 317 00:18:35,360 --> 00:18:39,520 This one, known as the Bawdstone, is no exception. 318 00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:44,240 Apparently, if you get under here, 319 00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:47,680 then you can literally get the devil off your back. 320 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:50,880 Oh, it looks quite tight, but to be honest, 321 00:18:50,880 --> 00:18:52,920 I need every bit of help that I can get. 322 00:18:52,920 --> 00:18:53,960 Ah. 323 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:55,920 There he goes, yep. Oh. 324 00:18:55,920 --> 00:18:57,440 I think he's gone. 325 00:18:57,440 --> 00:19:02,200 In the past, pagans visited this rock for its healing powers. 326 00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:05,840 But Christians attempted to purify the stone each year 327 00:19:05,840 --> 00:19:07,400 by painting it white... 328 00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:12,400 ..right up until the 1940s. 329 00:19:14,560 --> 00:19:17,720 Now nature has reclaimed it for its own. 330 00:19:18,720 --> 00:19:22,560 Higher up, the Roaches have been sculpted by the elements. 331 00:19:24,960 --> 00:19:27,520 You can see how all these bizarrely-shaped rocks 332 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:29,560 have captured people's imagination. 333 00:19:29,560 --> 00:19:32,280 Look at this giant lizard lurking behind me. 334 00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:36,920 'Over time, our stories have given these stones 335 00:19:36,920 --> 00:19:38,840 'their enigmatic quality.' 336 00:19:40,120 --> 00:19:43,080 Rock formations like these often hold secrets and myths 337 00:19:43,080 --> 00:19:45,720 deep within their crevices. 338 00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:49,360 The Roaches really exude this craggy mystery. 339 00:19:49,360 --> 00:19:52,080 Every rock, every giant boulder, holds a secret. 340 00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:54,040 Or so it seems. 341 00:19:56,440 --> 00:19:58,600 All across the hidden heart of Britain, 342 00:19:58,600 --> 00:20:00,880 there are secrets waiting to be explored. 343 00:20:05,320 --> 00:20:07,560 At the northern end of the Roaches, 344 00:20:07,560 --> 00:20:10,040 the land rolls down into Back Forest. 345 00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:13,840 Buried deep in these woods 346 00:20:13,840 --> 00:20:16,280 is another forgotten piece of our history. 347 00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:22,800 Now, I'm on my way to Ludchurch. 348 00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:25,640 All I really know is that it isn't a church, 349 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:30,520 but it is a place that's shrouded in myths and legends. 350 00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:34,840 'Ludchurch is so well concealed in the forest 351 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:36,880 'that my only chance of finding it 352 00:20:36,880 --> 00:20:39,960 'is with local historian Doug Pickford.' 353 00:20:39,960 --> 00:20:41,480 How did you come across this? 354 00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:44,120 I was born here, so it's been a playground forever. 355 00:20:44,120 --> 00:20:45,560 A great place to hide in. 356 00:20:45,560 --> 00:20:50,440 Even Robin Hood, Little John - they were hiding away in here. 357 00:20:50,440 --> 00:20:53,320 'There are tales that many of history's renegades 358 00:20:53,320 --> 00:20:56,240 'took refuge in Ludchurch.' 359 00:20:56,240 --> 00:20:59,720 - Just here on the right, is it? - Here we are. - Oh, wow! - Yeah. 360 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:01,960 It looks pretty eerie through there! 361 00:21:01,960 --> 00:21:03,520 You ain't seen nothing yet. 362 00:21:05,480 --> 00:21:08,320 Oh, this is something else. 363 00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:14,120 'We're descending into a rocky cleft 400 ft long and 50 ft deep.' 364 00:21:14,120 --> 00:21:16,800 Oh, my word! Doesn't that look magical? 365 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:22,560 'A damp chasm, draped in moss and ferns.' 366 00:21:22,560 --> 00:21:25,040 It's tropical, almost. 367 00:21:27,640 --> 00:21:31,000 'Legend has it that this crevice was made by the devil, 368 00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:33,720 'slashing the earth with his fingernail... 369 00:21:35,360 --> 00:21:37,280 '..creating a deep wound.' 370 00:21:40,160 --> 00:21:41,560 - What a place. - Isn't it? 371 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:44,720 There are all these little natural alcoves. 372 00:21:44,720 --> 00:21:46,000 They're everywhere. 373 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:51,720 'According to folklore, Ludchurch was a primeval place of worship 374 00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:54,560 'dating back before the druids. 375 00:21:54,560 --> 00:21:57,520 'You can understand how the shapes in the rock 376 00:21:57,520 --> 00:21:59,760 'might inspire fear or reverence.' 377 00:21:59,760 --> 00:22:01,880 You can see why people worshipped here. 378 00:22:01,880 --> 00:22:05,080 From very early times right up to present day - 379 00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:07,120 still people come down today. 380 00:22:07,120 --> 00:22:10,160 It is a great hidey-hole as well. Coming off that path 381 00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:11,880 you'd never know it was here. 382 00:22:11,880 --> 00:22:14,400 Perfect, it's a fantastic place for that. 383 00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:17,520 'It's fairly certain that in the 15th century 384 00:22:17,520 --> 00:22:19,960 'one group of runaways did hide here. 385 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:22,960 'The Lollards were religious dissenters, 386 00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:25,160 'widely condemned as heretics.' 387 00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:28,240 'On the run from their oppressors, 388 00:22:28,240 --> 00:22:32,800 'this is where they met and worshipped in secret.' 389 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:36,320 The altar up there, you can imagine the congregation down here. 390 00:22:36,320 --> 00:22:40,440 What, so he'd have been stood about where I am now? 391 00:22:40,440 --> 00:22:43,920 He'd have been stood here, and you've got the congregation here. 392 00:22:43,920 --> 00:22:47,840 And just imagine the voices, 100 or 200 voices down here, 393 00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:49,720 - echoing... - Singing. - Singing away. 394 00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:51,960 It would have been absolutely amazing. 395 00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:04,640 You can just kind of sense the activity that has gone on here. 396 00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:08,840 You feel the presence of that which has gone before. 397 00:23:08,840 --> 00:23:12,000 'Not only is Ludchurch hidden in the landscape, 398 00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:15,840 'it also seems to be hidden in our history.' 399 00:23:15,840 --> 00:23:19,040 There's hardly any written records of this place at all. 400 00:23:19,040 --> 00:23:20,480 That's really surprising, 401 00:23:20,480 --> 00:23:23,680 when you think about the activity that's gone on here. 402 00:23:23,680 --> 00:23:24,960 I know. I like folklore, 403 00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:28,200 and whatever the folklore is, there's a grain of truth in it. 404 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:31,760 It is, in a way, nice that there hasn't been much written about it, 405 00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:35,480 because it keeps its mystery and its magic. It keeps its awe. 406 00:23:38,600 --> 00:23:43,480 'Ludchurch is one of those places you remember long after you leave.' 407 00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:48,320 Of all the secret places that I've visited so far, 408 00:23:48,320 --> 00:23:51,640 there's something very different about Ludchurch, 409 00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:54,480 that's disguised under this grassy bank, 410 00:23:54,480 --> 00:23:58,760 in that...people have used it to keep their secrets. 411 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:03,040 It's a really sobering thought that we can come here today 412 00:24:03,040 --> 00:24:05,960 and enjoy it, you know, come here for pleasure, 413 00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:08,200 and yet, you think about all those people 414 00:24:08,200 --> 00:24:09,720 that have come here in the past 415 00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:11,760 and they've used it for protection. 416 00:24:11,760 --> 00:24:15,320 They've used it because they're in fear of losing their lives. 417 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:29,520 Just south of Ludchurch is another vestige of the forgotten history - 418 00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:30,560 Rudyard Lake. 419 00:24:30,560 --> 00:24:33,120 The River Dane leads us to the lake, 420 00:24:33,120 --> 00:24:36,320 whose allure lies in its glamorous and romantic past. 421 00:24:39,160 --> 00:24:41,000 The secret starts here, 422 00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:45,680 where some of the Dane's waters are diverted down a channel. 423 00:24:45,680 --> 00:24:49,120 This might look natural and wild and swampy, 424 00:24:49,120 --> 00:24:53,560 but in fact it's man-made, dug out in the early 1800s by hand. 425 00:24:55,600 --> 00:25:00,520 Its purpose was to fill a valley and create a 2.5-mile-long reservoir. 426 00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:05,360 Rudyard Lake was intended 427 00:25:05,360 --> 00:25:08,240 to feed Britain's ever-growing system of canals - 428 00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:13,280 the vital arteries of the Industrial Revolution. 429 00:25:13,280 --> 00:25:17,960 Today, it's a haven for locals to enjoy, but it wasn't always that way. 430 00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:20,040 It's difficult to imagine, 431 00:25:20,040 --> 00:25:24,080 but this quiet backwater was once a tourist hotspot. 432 00:25:25,680 --> 00:25:28,440 'And to take me on a trip down memory lane...' 433 00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:30,080 Here comes my lift. 434 00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:32,560 '..is Rudyard Lake's ranger, Ray Perry.' 435 00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:35,080 - Hi, Ray. - Hello, fancy meeting you here. 436 00:25:35,080 --> 00:25:36,800 Hello, hello. 437 00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:40,320 Just catch hold of the end. 438 00:25:40,320 --> 00:25:41,800 Good landing! 439 00:25:41,800 --> 00:25:43,240 - Perfect. - The best we could. 440 00:25:43,240 --> 00:25:45,240 - Pleased to meet you. - Nice to meet you. 441 00:25:45,240 --> 00:25:49,440 You have to be careful around here, it's a very romantic place. 442 00:25:49,440 --> 00:25:52,760 It's supposed to be the third most romantic spot in the country. 443 00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:55,280 - We might fall in love! - I don't know the other two. 444 00:25:55,280 --> 00:25:57,320 I'll leave you to do all the hard work. 445 00:25:57,320 --> 00:25:59,000 You'll not want to do hard work. 446 00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:01,360 - Old-fashioned in that way. - Why not, why not? 447 00:26:01,360 --> 00:26:04,760 'We're at the lake's northern end, 448 00:26:04,760 --> 00:26:08,200 'what was once Rudyard's most exclusive spot.' 449 00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:10,040 Over on my left hand side here is 450 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:15,480 what was to be the first golf course to be built in North Staffordshire, 451 00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:20,240 back in 1906. It opened as a nine-hole course, 452 00:26:20,240 --> 00:26:23,240 and the golfers built a little chalet for themselves 453 00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:24,480 to be their tenth hole. 454 00:26:24,480 --> 00:26:27,120 Looking at some of the old postcard pictures of it, 455 00:26:27,120 --> 00:26:30,360 it was full of paraffin lamps and linen tablecloths, 456 00:26:30,360 --> 00:26:32,560 really for the hoi polloi, 457 00:26:32,560 --> 00:26:35,000 as you might say, of the day. 458 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:38,880 You see, if I look at that now and try and imagine back to the 1920s, 459 00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:41,960 I've got Great Gatsby, I've got them in their plus fours... 460 00:26:41,960 --> 00:26:43,040 That's right. 461 00:26:43,040 --> 00:26:46,960 ..with their golf clubs casually slung over their shoulders. 462 00:26:46,960 --> 00:26:51,480 You can see why the upper crust would want to hang out here. 463 00:26:51,480 --> 00:26:55,360 It was a golf club with vistas. 464 00:26:55,360 --> 00:27:00,160 So lovely were the views from the 17th hole, they named it Paradise. 465 00:27:02,520 --> 00:27:07,760 - And now the cows are enjoying the shoreline. - That's right. 466 00:27:07,760 --> 00:27:10,520 'Although there's nothing left of the golf club, 467 00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:15,600 'these restored boathouses hark back to Rudyard's bygone era.' 468 00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:17,880 So what are we coming up to here? 469 00:27:17,880 --> 00:27:19,920 This is known as the Lady Of The Lake. 470 00:27:19,920 --> 00:27:24,560 It was built back in 1898 for a wealthy local family. 471 00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:27,040 - This was their weekend retreat? - Very much so. 472 00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:30,120 They'd use it obviously to keep their boats underneath. 473 00:27:30,120 --> 00:27:34,560 It's positively grand compared to some of the wooden cabins along the bank. 474 00:27:34,560 --> 00:27:37,280 There's a statue. They gave a lot of thought to it, 475 00:27:37,280 --> 00:27:40,880 because they actually built that little alcove in the chimney area 476 00:27:40,880 --> 00:27:43,720 - especially to accommodate it. - The Lady Of The Lake. 477 00:27:45,800 --> 00:27:47,920 'Rudyard Lake's glamorous past 478 00:27:47,920 --> 00:27:53,560 'all began back in 1829 with the building of its railway line. 479 00:27:53,560 --> 00:27:56,560 'The trains brought a constant stream of day-trippers, 480 00:27:56,560 --> 00:28:01,160 'and with boating, tea rooms and entertainment all on offer, 481 00:28:01,160 --> 00:28:04,080 'the lake became a thriving tourist spot. 482 00:28:04,080 --> 00:28:07,160 'On one day in 1877, 483 00:28:07,160 --> 00:28:11,000 'more than 25,000 people gathered to watch Captain Webb, 484 00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:13,760 'the first man to swim the English Channel, 485 00:28:13,760 --> 00:28:15,520 'swim the length of the lake.' 486 00:28:19,800 --> 00:28:23,360 'Since the 1960s, with the decline of local railways, 487 00:28:23,360 --> 00:28:26,000 'Rudyard Lake's crowds have disappeared.' 488 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:29,680 The nice thing about Rudyard today, I think, is that the southern end, 489 00:28:29,680 --> 00:28:32,480 the other end of the lake than we are currently at, 490 00:28:32,480 --> 00:28:34,720 is commercialised, in inverted commas, 491 00:28:34,720 --> 00:28:38,920 whereas this end remains, much as it's ever done, 492 00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:41,320 a very tranquil, scenic spot. 493 00:28:41,320 --> 00:28:44,080 'And forever a romantic one.' 494 00:28:44,080 --> 00:28:49,640 Amongst the thousands of tourists who once visited these banks, 495 00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:54,080 two fell in love and married in 1865. 496 00:28:54,080 --> 00:28:58,160 They named their first-born after the lake. 497 00:28:58,160 --> 00:29:03,040 He became one of Britain's greatest writers - Rudyard Kipling. 498 00:29:08,240 --> 00:29:11,640 Leaving behind the memories of Rudyard Lake, I'm delving deeper 499 00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:13,960 into England's hidden heart, 500 00:29:13,960 --> 00:29:17,640 a world where there's more to the landscape than meets the eye. 501 00:29:17,640 --> 00:29:19,480 Since the 17th century, 502 00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:24,600 the Peak District has been Britain's largest limestone producer. 503 00:29:24,600 --> 00:29:25,880 Everywhere you look, 504 00:29:25,880 --> 00:29:29,960 you can see how the search for this versatile stone has left its mark. 505 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:37,360 And it's here that I'm beginning my search for our next strange secret. 506 00:29:39,120 --> 00:29:41,640 This route is known as the High Peak Trail, 507 00:29:41,640 --> 00:29:46,080 and it follows the line of the old railway which was built in 1830 508 00:29:46,080 --> 00:29:48,800 and was used to carry all of this limestone 509 00:29:48,800 --> 00:29:51,200 from the quarries down to the canals. 510 00:29:51,200 --> 00:29:54,600 Not only was this one of the earliest railways to be built, 511 00:29:54,600 --> 00:30:00,000 as my thighs are finding out, it was also one of the steepest. 512 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:02,280 Which is why they built an engine at the top, 513 00:30:02,280 --> 00:30:04,400 to haul the wagons back up the hill. 514 00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:08,880 Middleton Engine House is the only one that survives of the nine 515 00:30:08,880 --> 00:30:11,800 that once dotted the High Peak Railway. 516 00:30:15,120 --> 00:30:18,840 But one of the biggest legacies of that industry is here, 517 00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:20,080 at Middleton Moor. 518 00:30:20,080 --> 00:30:22,600 And it's almost invisible. 519 00:30:22,600 --> 00:30:25,640 You could walk across this whole moor 520 00:30:25,640 --> 00:30:29,560 without the faintest idea of what lies beneath. 521 00:30:31,680 --> 00:30:37,520 Hidden under the moor is the only limestone mine in the UK. 522 00:30:37,520 --> 00:30:40,200 To understand the secrets of this landscape, 523 00:30:40,200 --> 00:30:42,200 I need to burrow right through it... 524 00:30:43,920 --> 00:30:45,760 ..with the only people that know how. 525 00:30:45,760 --> 00:30:47,560 - Now then, lads! - Hello, Matt. 526 00:30:47,560 --> 00:30:49,280 - How we doing? - Very well, thank you. 527 00:30:49,280 --> 00:30:51,480 - You? - Are you all right in there, Derek? - Yes, thanks. 528 00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:53,560 - Welcome to Middleton. - You're good? Super stuff. 529 00:30:53,560 --> 00:30:55,000 What's the plan? 530 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:57,120 We're doing an inspection of the mine. 531 00:30:57,120 --> 00:31:00,280 - You're going to navigate us, so don't get us lost, will you? - OK. 532 00:31:01,400 --> 00:31:05,560 Now disused, the mine is kept safely under lock and key. 533 00:31:05,560 --> 00:31:08,040 Jeremy Hewitt is in charge of its safety. 534 00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:11,440 In we go, then. 535 00:31:11,440 --> 00:31:18,000 Since Middleton Mine closed in 2005, it's been stripped of all equipment. 536 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:21,600 So the only light in these tunnels is from our headlamps. 537 00:31:21,600 --> 00:31:25,400 Just going down what we call the main drag. 538 00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:26,840 - Right. Massive. - It is. 539 00:31:26,840 --> 00:31:29,560 It's bigger than I was expecting, to be honest with you. 540 00:31:29,560 --> 00:31:31,000 I thought it would be quite... 541 00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:33,360 - You know, a feeling of real claustrophobia. - Yes. 542 00:31:33,360 --> 00:31:35,480 You come in here and you think we're going to be 543 00:31:35,480 --> 00:31:39,800 scraping the sides if you're driving through it, but they are enormous. 544 00:31:39,800 --> 00:31:42,240 They are. They were actually cut 545 00:31:42,240 --> 00:31:45,880 to allow 30-tonne dumpers to drive in and out. 546 00:31:45,880 --> 00:31:48,000 In fact, you could get a double-decker bus 547 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:50,400 through this immense subterranean labyrinth. 548 00:31:53,280 --> 00:31:55,520 Middleton Mine was created 549 00:31:55,520 --> 00:31:59,280 because it was cheaper to mine this deep limestone than to quarry it. 550 00:31:59,280 --> 00:32:04,960 Since the 1950s, miners have carved out 26 miles of tunnel. 551 00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:07,920 Your initial reaction is that it's like an underground world. 552 00:32:07,920 --> 00:32:09,440 It's like a main high street, 553 00:32:09,440 --> 00:32:12,000 - and then all these little roads leading up. - Yes. 554 00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:16,360 Large square pillars have been left to stop the roof from caving in. 555 00:32:16,360 --> 00:32:20,400 So we're just coming up to what was the first developed area. 556 00:32:22,040 --> 00:32:26,440 Jeremy's taking me to the mine's largest cavern. 557 00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:34,400 This is enormous, Jeremy, isn't it? 558 00:32:34,400 --> 00:32:38,800 It is. It certainly is. It's an amazing structure that developed 559 00:32:38,800 --> 00:32:40,760 over quite a lot of working. 560 00:32:40,760 --> 00:32:42,680 Yeah. It's like a cathedral, almost. 561 00:32:45,080 --> 00:32:47,800 The roof here is very flat. 562 00:32:47,800 --> 00:32:51,200 - It's like ripples of sand on the beach or something. - Yeah. 563 00:32:51,200 --> 00:32:53,960 And that's broken out very cleanly. 564 00:32:53,960 --> 00:32:58,920 This is an ancient seabed, formed 280 million years ago. 565 00:33:01,880 --> 00:33:05,080 The limestone is prized for its purity. 566 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:10,800 The mine once produced 120,000 tons of it a year. 567 00:33:12,320 --> 00:33:16,160 What's left is Middleton Moor's hidden maze. 568 00:33:16,160 --> 00:33:19,480 It's an extraordinary creation. 569 00:33:19,480 --> 00:33:22,040 I remember the first few times I came down, thinking 570 00:33:22,040 --> 00:33:25,000 this is amazing, just like yourself, in absolute wonder. 571 00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:28,480 And so deep down, below the moor, that I... 572 00:33:28,480 --> 00:33:32,280 feel quite privileged to come here and have a look around. 573 00:33:32,280 --> 00:33:33,600 All those sheep up there, 574 00:33:33,600 --> 00:33:36,560 - totally oblivious of what's going on underground. - Yeah. 575 00:33:39,520 --> 00:33:41,080 Before I see daylight again, 576 00:33:41,080 --> 00:33:44,440 Jeremy wants to show me one of the mine's potential dangers. 577 00:33:44,440 --> 00:33:49,360 This big boulder down here fell out probably 18 months ago, 578 00:33:49,360 --> 00:33:52,040 and although there has been one 579 00:33:52,040 --> 00:33:55,520 or two small spills since then, it's pretty stable, 580 00:33:55,520 --> 00:33:58,960 so I'm happy with it and we're not worrying about it. 581 00:34:01,600 --> 00:34:03,280 There's a junction here. 582 00:34:03,280 --> 00:34:05,360 I, er, left the map in the car. 583 00:34:05,360 --> 00:34:07,000 It's OK. I know where we are. 584 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:08,520 MATT LAUGHS 585 00:34:08,520 --> 00:34:12,840 So now we're up here, we're over the main road again. 586 00:34:12,840 --> 00:34:15,240 If you just climb carefully onto this bank, 587 00:34:15,240 --> 00:34:16,880 we can look down at the truck. 588 00:34:16,880 --> 00:34:19,560 I see where we are now. 589 00:34:19,560 --> 00:34:21,920 What a view from up here. That's super, isn't it? 590 00:34:21,920 --> 00:34:24,320 Yeah, but we'll not get too close. 591 00:34:24,320 --> 00:34:28,440 There's not many mines where you have to worry about such big drops. 592 00:34:28,440 --> 00:34:31,920 Mostly you're crawling around on your hands and knees. But not here. 593 00:34:34,200 --> 00:34:38,840 The caverns of Middleton Mine inspire awe and respect. 594 00:34:38,840 --> 00:34:42,040 Being in here requires constant vigilance. 595 00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:45,320 In the '70s, 596 00:34:45,320 --> 00:34:49,000 two sections of the mine collapsed, causing tonnes of land to move... 597 00:34:52,080 --> 00:34:54,840 ..and making its mark on the moor above. 598 00:34:58,560 --> 00:35:00,760 And this is the area 599 00:35:00,760 --> 00:35:02,520 where the mine collapsed. 600 00:35:04,040 --> 00:35:06,840 It's the only sign of the secret that lies below. 601 00:35:08,480 --> 00:35:10,600 Ah, yes. 602 00:35:10,600 --> 00:35:12,960 It looks perfectly circular. 603 00:35:14,480 --> 00:35:16,640 Just like a natural hollow. 604 00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:24,040 From the air, you can just make out the square shapes 605 00:35:24,040 --> 00:35:26,080 of the limestone pillars beneath. 606 00:35:28,400 --> 00:35:33,760 A ghostly epitaph, written in the landscape, to Middleton Mine. 607 00:35:38,760 --> 00:35:39,840 To the south, 608 00:35:39,840 --> 00:35:44,280 the hills of Shropshire conceal the enigmatic Silvington Common. 609 00:35:45,400 --> 00:35:50,600 It's a place where secret Britain can be found in one man's memories. 610 00:35:52,320 --> 00:35:58,480 For Derek Markham, this common defines his family history. 611 00:35:58,480 --> 00:36:01,160 When I come to Silvington Common, 612 00:36:01,160 --> 00:36:04,200 the first place I head for is this tree. 613 00:36:08,560 --> 00:36:11,120 My mother used to meet my dad here in the wartime. 614 00:36:11,120 --> 00:36:14,560 That's the only way they could meet in private. 615 00:36:14,560 --> 00:36:19,320 My dad was stationed down there, in the war, in 1941, 616 00:36:19,320 --> 00:36:23,200 and my mum actually ran away to be with him. 617 00:36:26,880 --> 00:36:30,240 She was 18, he was 20, and they were sweethearts. 618 00:36:30,240 --> 00:36:33,480 They would meet here. This was where they said their hellos 619 00:36:33,480 --> 00:36:36,520 and their goodbyes and they did their courting. 620 00:36:38,040 --> 00:36:39,840 It was a lovers' tree, really. 621 00:36:39,840 --> 00:36:43,960 And she wouldn't leave the tree until my father had gone back 622 00:36:43,960 --> 00:36:48,400 safely through all the sheep tracks and got back to the camp. 623 00:36:48,400 --> 00:36:52,320 Where he would wave his white vest to let her know that he had arrived. 624 00:36:56,040 --> 00:36:58,600 My parents were totally devoted to each other. 625 00:36:58,600 --> 00:37:02,400 They got married two years after they used to meet here, 626 00:37:02,400 --> 00:37:05,760 and they kept coming back here and coming back here, 627 00:37:05,760 --> 00:37:08,600 and we would spend so much time around here. 628 00:37:08,600 --> 00:37:10,920 I think one of the earliest memories I have is actually 629 00:37:10,920 --> 00:37:15,320 coming out from this tree and picking bilberries in the area. 630 00:37:15,320 --> 00:37:17,400 And we brought our family up here. 631 00:37:20,720 --> 00:37:24,160 It's very emotional because I know that my mother will always be here. 632 00:37:24,160 --> 00:37:28,720 She always wanted to be here. She never wanted to be away from here. 633 00:37:28,720 --> 00:37:30,760 And we scattered her ashes around here. 634 00:37:33,520 --> 00:37:36,840 This place is really part of what I am. 635 00:37:38,720 --> 00:37:42,120 And I really don't think many people pass this way. 636 00:37:42,120 --> 00:37:49,160 It's almost exclusive to my family and our thoughts and our memories. 637 00:37:49,160 --> 00:37:50,800 And it's just so beautiful. 638 00:38:01,600 --> 00:38:05,040 West of Shropshire lies the Welsh border. 639 00:38:05,040 --> 00:38:08,000 Here, the landscape gets ever more rugged, 640 00:38:08,000 --> 00:38:10,800 and the secrets more difficult to get to. 641 00:38:13,880 --> 00:38:18,640 Snowdonia National Park is one of our great treasures. 642 00:38:18,640 --> 00:38:21,720 For centuries, the Welsh have called these mountains 643 00:38:21,720 --> 00:38:24,520 The Place Of The Eagle - Eryri. 644 00:38:26,160 --> 00:38:29,560 Even though Mount Snowden draws half a million visitors a year, 645 00:38:29,560 --> 00:38:34,360 there's a secret that lies to the north in the mountain's shadow. 646 00:38:36,000 --> 00:38:38,880 I'm heading for the hanging gardens of Snowdonia 647 00:38:38,880 --> 00:38:43,480 that grow somewhere in a valley called Cwm Idwal. 648 00:38:43,480 --> 00:38:48,120 My guide is nature reserve manager Hywel Roberts. Morning, Hywel. 649 00:38:48,120 --> 00:38:51,720 - Good morning, and it certainly is a glorious morning. - Isn't it? 650 00:38:51,720 --> 00:38:54,840 - You don't expect this every time in Snowdonia. - In my experience, no. 651 00:38:54,840 --> 00:38:57,320 But it's a nice surprise. 652 00:38:57,320 --> 00:39:00,160 - It is indeed. - So what is it you want to show me today? 653 00:39:00,160 --> 00:39:02,480 What I really want to show you is Cwm Idwal, 654 00:39:02,480 --> 00:39:06,960 one of the most special nature reserves and valleys in Snowdonia. 655 00:39:09,400 --> 00:39:12,480 This is the most southerly place in Britain, 656 00:39:12,480 --> 00:39:14,320 where arctic plants still grow. 657 00:39:17,400 --> 00:39:20,560 But it's better known for its spectacular landscape, 658 00:39:20,560 --> 00:39:22,200 created during the Ice Age. 659 00:39:23,840 --> 00:39:26,040 Now, Julia, welcome to Cwm Idwal. 660 00:39:26,040 --> 00:39:28,080 We're right on the shore of Llyn Idwal, now. 661 00:39:28,080 --> 00:39:31,080 Ah. So this is it. 662 00:39:36,440 --> 00:39:38,560 It's like being in the Lake District. 663 00:39:38,560 --> 00:39:40,240 Well, a bit better, I'd say. 664 00:39:40,240 --> 00:39:42,280 Of course you would! 665 00:39:42,280 --> 00:39:45,600 Well of course, parts of the Lake District were created by glaciation. 666 00:39:45,600 --> 00:39:48,400 And here you've got classic signs of glaciation. 667 00:39:49,920 --> 00:39:52,000 This imposing amphitheatre 668 00:39:52,000 --> 00:39:53,440 was sculpted by ice 669 00:39:53,440 --> 00:39:55,560 more than 12,000 years ago. 670 00:39:55,560 --> 00:39:58,160 And the lake is a watery reminder 671 00:39:58,160 --> 00:40:00,320 of the glacier that once flowed 672 00:40:00,320 --> 00:40:01,600 down this valley. 673 00:40:03,600 --> 00:40:06,800 But the secret here is the hanging garden. 674 00:40:06,800 --> 00:40:09,640 Plants left over from the Ice Age. 675 00:40:09,640 --> 00:40:13,440 They survive in a place they call the Devil's Kitchen. 676 00:40:15,320 --> 00:40:16,960 It's quite a scary name, isn't it? 677 00:40:16,960 --> 00:40:20,760 The reason it's got the name is because sailors in the olden days 678 00:40:20,760 --> 00:40:23,080 looking at this place from the Irish Sea 679 00:40:23,080 --> 00:40:27,360 would see clouds rising out of this valley here, up towards the summits. 680 00:40:27,360 --> 00:40:30,520 And they would have thought of that almost like a boiling cauldron. 681 00:40:30,520 --> 00:40:36,440 It's a dark foreboding place, but to be appreciated. 682 00:40:36,440 --> 00:40:38,920 It's the plants that grow on its high ledges 683 00:40:38,920 --> 00:40:40,480 that we're searching for. 684 00:40:44,400 --> 00:40:48,760 So, Hywel, as we climb deeper and deeper into the crevice, 685 00:40:48,760 --> 00:40:51,280 what other sorts of plants and flowers are we looking for? 686 00:40:51,280 --> 00:40:54,200 We're looking for more montane plants, plants we'll find on the 687 00:40:54,200 --> 00:40:57,480 shelves and perhaps in the crevices between the boulders. 688 00:40:57,480 --> 00:40:59,760 If we look carefully in a minute, 689 00:40:59,760 --> 00:41:04,720 I think we might start seeing some roseroot. Ah, directly ahead of us. 690 00:41:04,720 --> 00:41:06,480 Growing out of that crag, there. 691 00:41:06,480 --> 00:41:11,400 - Oh, yes. - The next crag we come to is absolutely full of vegetation, 692 00:41:11,400 --> 00:41:14,440 hence the term "hanging gardens." 693 00:41:19,440 --> 00:41:22,840 Finally, at 2,000 ft, we find them. 694 00:41:24,640 --> 00:41:26,560 Careful. 695 00:41:26,560 --> 00:41:31,720 Now, I completely get what you say by "hanging garden". 696 00:41:31,720 --> 00:41:35,320 You can see that it's a really lush, deep vegetation there. 697 00:41:35,320 --> 00:41:39,040 Can you see the mass of roseroot that's there? 698 00:41:39,040 --> 00:41:40,600 Imagine just down below us, 699 00:41:40,600 --> 00:41:43,920 when we stopped below, it was just that one little plant. 700 00:41:43,920 --> 00:41:46,240 But there, a mass of it. 701 00:41:46,240 --> 00:41:48,520 And absolutely full of rare plants. 702 00:41:48,520 --> 00:41:51,120 Look at the Mossy Saxifrage here. 703 00:41:51,120 --> 00:41:52,920 The place is full of plants. 704 00:41:52,920 --> 00:41:54,240 I love the tree over there, 705 00:41:54,240 --> 00:41:57,200 just hanging off the rock. What are the roots bedded into? 706 00:41:57,200 --> 00:41:59,920 There's just that little bit of nutrient there. 707 00:41:59,920 --> 00:42:03,200 It's given peace and quiet, no grazing, and off it goes. 708 00:42:03,200 --> 00:42:05,840 Look what you've got there. A fully grown mountain ash. 709 00:42:05,840 --> 00:42:08,200 Woodland growing out of rockland. 710 00:42:08,200 --> 00:42:10,680 Amazing. 711 00:42:10,680 --> 00:42:12,280 12,000 years ago, 712 00:42:12,280 --> 00:42:18,520 arctic plants lived on the mountain peaks that rose up above the ice. 713 00:42:20,160 --> 00:42:23,400 Since the glaciers disappeared, they still survive, 714 00:42:23,400 --> 00:42:26,600 clinging on to these chilly north-east facing crags. 715 00:42:26,600 --> 00:42:28,560 Just think of the thousands of people that go 716 00:42:28,560 --> 00:42:31,320 past here, storming up to the top of the mountain, 717 00:42:31,320 --> 00:42:33,720 just to say, "We've been to a 3,000ft peak." 718 00:42:33,720 --> 00:42:36,600 But what did they see? Did they actually see the rare plants? 719 00:42:36,600 --> 00:42:38,320 Did they see the lost world? 720 00:42:38,320 --> 00:42:40,520 Indeed. And what a gem it is. 721 00:42:48,400 --> 00:42:55,280 It's this craggy landscape that keeps Wales' secrets so well hidden. 722 00:42:55,280 --> 00:42:57,640 Leaving Snowdonia, we're heading south, 723 00:42:57,640 --> 00:43:01,560 to a place deep in the slate mountains - 724 00:43:01,560 --> 00:43:05,440 a secret spot for three generations of the Hinds family. 725 00:43:05,440 --> 00:43:10,360 And a location only shared with friends and family. 726 00:43:10,360 --> 00:43:13,080 About 50 years ago, a friend said, 727 00:43:13,080 --> 00:43:14,560 "Do you know where the blue pool is?" 728 00:43:14,560 --> 00:43:17,440 and I said, of course, "No." And I was shown where it was. 729 00:43:17,440 --> 00:43:20,440 And I've been coming here ever since. 730 00:43:20,440 --> 00:43:23,920 It was like a little adventure, because... 731 00:43:23,920 --> 00:43:25,760 you're walking up into a slate mine, 732 00:43:25,760 --> 00:43:29,200 which is very Welsh, and then you have to go through these bridges. 733 00:43:29,200 --> 00:43:31,480 Up there, up that path there, to your left. 734 00:43:31,480 --> 00:43:34,480 And then onto the terrace. 735 00:43:34,480 --> 00:43:36,440 Lovely. 736 00:43:36,440 --> 00:43:39,440 See, look. You came up through the trees 737 00:43:39,440 --> 00:43:42,440 and you came through those two bridges. 738 00:43:42,440 --> 00:43:44,960 The map came about because there was a family 739 00:43:44,960 --> 00:43:47,560 that wanted to know how to get to the blue pool. 740 00:43:47,560 --> 00:43:50,040 So I decided to draw a picture, 741 00:43:50,040 --> 00:43:55,400 which was more artistic, for other people to find the blue pool. 742 00:43:55,400 --> 00:43:59,200 And there's a tunnel which leads to the blue pool in the quarry. 743 00:43:59,200 --> 00:44:01,280 Even though it is sometimes quite wet... 744 00:44:01,280 --> 00:44:03,320 And you don't know what you're going to find. 745 00:44:03,320 --> 00:44:10,120 And then you suddenly come out on to this area and see this water. 746 00:44:10,120 --> 00:44:11,600 Which, on a day like today, 747 00:44:11,600 --> 00:44:14,320 reflects the blue sky, and it's just beautiful. 748 00:44:24,520 --> 00:44:26,360 Oh, it's quite nice. 749 00:44:26,360 --> 00:44:29,000 I brought Jasmin when she was a baby. 750 00:44:29,000 --> 00:44:31,080 I think she came when she was two. 751 00:44:31,080 --> 00:44:32,680 It became a place to come to. 752 00:44:32,680 --> 00:44:34,680 It was always the place we'd come. 753 00:44:34,680 --> 00:44:37,600 And it was fun. 754 00:44:37,600 --> 00:44:41,840 It's a nice place to paddle in the pool and have a nice time, really. 755 00:44:47,120 --> 00:44:48,880 Quite often we come in the morning 756 00:44:48,880 --> 00:44:52,160 and we'll be here for a few hours and never see another person. 757 00:44:52,160 --> 00:44:54,200 A lot of fish up there, isn't there? 758 00:44:54,200 --> 00:44:56,240 - Yes. - A lot of trout. 759 00:44:56,240 --> 00:44:57,760 Yes, trout. 760 00:44:57,760 --> 00:44:59,800 There's one... 761 00:44:59,800 --> 00:45:02,320 And I love to watch those up there. 762 00:45:02,320 --> 00:45:04,600 They skim the surface, catching the flies. 763 00:45:04,600 --> 00:45:07,720 Just generally seeing the family playing around 764 00:45:07,720 --> 00:45:09,840 and skimming stones, etcetera. 765 00:45:09,840 --> 00:45:12,520 Whoa! Look at that one. That's going! 766 00:45:12,520 --> 00:45:14,560 Nearly made it. 767 00:45:14,560 --> 00:45:19,400 The water's so still and you can get it to bounce probably 20 times. 768 00:45:19,400 --> 00:45:23,520 Ding, ding, ding... Right the way across and ping! Off the far wall. 769 00:45:23,520 --> 00:45:26,080 Psshung! 770 00:45:26,080 --> 00:45:28,760 Almost! 771 00:45:28,760 --> 00:45:31,840 It's an art form. 772 00:45:31,840 --> 00:45:34,920 Bing, bing, bing... 773 00:45:36,920 --> 00:45:39,440 You won't find it in any brochures. 774 00:45:39,440 --> 00:45:44,480 I think people rely on other people to tell them. 775 00:45:44,480 --> 00:45:45,600 And it's worth the effort 776 00:45:45,600 --> 00:45:47,760 because of the scenery and the views and the pool. 777 00:45:47,760 --> 00:45:52,640 It's just a nice place to come and enjoy the day. 778 00:46:00,720 --> 00:46:04,280 We'll let the Hinds keep the blue pool for themselves and move on 779 00:46:04,280 --> 00:46:08,800 to the rugged wilds of the Welsh coast in the far South West. 780 00:46:08,800 --> 00:46:11,760 Our final destination on this leg of our journey. 781 00:46:11,760 --> 00:46:14,480 Pembrokeshire Coast National Park 782 00:46:14,480 --> 00:46:17,920 protects over 150,000 acres of shoreline. 783 00:46:19,720 --> 00:46:23,120 But before I explore the vertical landscape of these dramatic cliffs, 784 00:46:23,120 --> 00:46:24,440 I'm taking a detour 785 00:46:24,440 --> 00:46:28,240 to one of Pembrokeshire's secluded little treasures. 786 00:46:28,240 --> 00:46:31,000 Tucked away behind Broadhaven beach. 787 00:46:31,000 --> 00:46:34,960 I reckon that this beach is a real gem in itself, but I am told 788 00:46:34,960 --> 00:46:39,680 that just behind it is something really, really special. 789 00:46:39,680 --> 00:46:43,240 And if I follow this trickle, all should be revealed. 790 00:46:44,760 --> 00:46:48,720 This water flows from an enchanting series of lakes. 791 00:46:52,400 --> 00:46:55,040 These are the Bosherston lily ponds... 792 00:46:55,040 --> 00:47:01,000 that nestle in a steep valley behind the coast. 793 00:47:03,000 --> 00:47:04,880 What a contrast these ponds are. 794 00:47:04,880 --> 00:47:08,320 It feels so protected from that offshore wind, because it's... 795 00:47:08,320 --> 00:47:13,920 kind of framed by this thick canopy of woodland and it's so peaceful. 796 00:47:13,920 --> 00:47:16,840 It's so tranquil here that all you can hear... 797 00:47:16,840 --> 00:47:18,760 is the sound of the birds. 798 00:47:18,760 --> 00:47:20,640 CHIRRUPING 799 00:47:20,640 --> 00:47:24,720 Bosherston's secret is its water lilies 800 00:47:24,720 --> 00:47:28,080 that burst into bloom each June. 801 00:47:28,080 --> 00:47:32,200 The pond's clear water comes from underground springs. 802 00:47:32,200 --> 00:47:38,000 Down here, it's one of the richest, fresh water habitats in Europe. 803 00:47:41,880 --> 00:47:43,920 But perhaps the biggest surprise 804 00:47:43,920 --> 00:47:45,680 is that these 80 acres of pond 805 00:47:45,680 --> 00:47:46,880 are all man-made. 806 00:47:47,880 --> 00:47:51,240 They were created in the 18th century by the Earls of Cawdor 807 00:47:51,240 --> 00:47:53,280 who once owned the valley. 808 00:47:57,000 --> 00:48:00,280 They wanted a garden pond on a grand scale. 809 00:48:02,480 --> 00:48:04,640 So they brought in a canal engineer 810 00:48:04,640 --> 00:48:08,400 and one beautiful evening, in 1794, he took a stroll down to 811 00:48:08,400 --> 00:48:10,880 the beach where I've just come from 812 00:48:10,880 --> 00:48:16,040 and he had a vision and that vision was of water flooding these valleys. 813 00:48:16,040 --> 00:48:19,400 So beautiful was that thought, that he came up with the idea 814 00:48:19,400 --> 00:48:24,400 along with the Cawdors of damming the river right at its mouth 815 00:48:24,400 --> 00:48:25,920 to create this. 816 00:48:30,560 --> 00:48:35,400 So the Cawdors got their garden pond and Pembrokeshire got a hidden gem. 817 00:48:35,400 --> 00:48:40,360 More than 200 years later, anyone can enjoy this haven 818 00:48:40,360 --> 00:48:43,560 and see the remains of the Cawdor's manor. 819 00:48:56,280 --> 00:48:58,240 On the very last leg of our journey, 820 00:48:58,240 --> 00:49:01,200 I'm moving just two miles west of Bosherston. 821 00:49:02,960 --> 00:49:05,560 This coast was also once owned by the Earls of Cawdor, 822 00:49:05,560 --> 00:49:09,440 but today it's occupied by someone entirely different. 823 00:49:13,480 --> 00:49:17,280 It's one of the many places where the army practice their manoeuvres, 824 00:49:17,280 --> 00:49:19,160 an eight-mile stretch of coast 825 00:49:19,160 --> 00:49:21,560 known as the Castlemartin Firing Range. 826 00:49:21,560 --> 00:49:26,960 And like many other MOD ranges, it's not always open to visitors. 827 00:49:26,960 --> 00:49:29,080 You can walk along the Pembrokeshire coast 828 00:49:29,080 --> 00:49:31,000 on the coast path but you only get access 829 00:49:31,000 --> 00:49:33,440 to this particular section when, of course, 830 00:49:33,440 --> 00:49:35,120 there's no training going on. 831 00:49:35,120 --> 00:49:37,800 But it is worth the wait because just over there, 832 00:49:37,800 --> 00:49:40,040 where the land stops and the sea starts, 833 00:49:40,040 --> 00:49:43,960 are some of the most spectacular sea cliffs in Britain. 834 00:49:45,600 --> 00:49:48,760 Someone who knows the best way to explore Castlemartin 835 00:49:48,760 --> 00:49:51,040 is climber, Libby Peter. 836 00:49:51,040 --> 00:49:53,400 It's all open in there. Is it safe to go in? 837 00:49:53,400 --> 00:49:55,120 It's all open, the flag's down. 838 00:49:55,120 --> 00:49:59,080 - We've got a clear run, anywhere we want to go. - Anywhere we like? 839 00:49:59,080 --> 00:50:01,440 Well, speaking of which, you should lead the way. 840 00:50:01,440 --> 00:50:03,800 - Ready for an adventure? - Definitely. 841 00:50:03,800 --> 00:50:08,960 You can get access to Castlemartin's eastern range every weekend. 842 00:50:08,960 --> 00:50:11,200 And there are seven miles of trails 843 00:50:11,200 --> 00:50:15,560 on some of the wildest sections of the Pembrokeshire coastal walk. 844 00:50:15,560 --> 00:50:20,000 For climbers like Libby, it's all a brilliant backstage pass. 845 00:50:20,000 --> 00:50:24,200 - This is an incredible place. - Oh, my word. 846 00:50:24,200 --> 00:50:25,800 Isn't it amazing? 847 00:50:25,800 --> 00:50:27,720 - Look at that! Oh, man. - Yes. 848 00:50:27,720 --> 00:50:29,520 It's called Huntsman's Leap. 849 00:50:29,520 --> 00:50:31,160 It gets your belly when you look over. 850 00:50:31,160 --> 00:50:33,320 Some of the routes, you can only access at low tide. 851 00:50:33,320 --> 00:50:36,520 Oh, yes. You can see them down the bottom. 852 00:50:36,520 --> 00:50:40,080 - They look really small, don't they? - Hello. - Hello! 853 00:50:40,080 --> 00:50:43,320 There's some amazing, world-class climbing. 854 00:50:43,320 --> 00:50:47,280 You don't want to go in here unless you know that you can get back out. 855 00:50:47,280 --> 00:50:49,400 - We don't need to start off in here, Matt. - Right. 856 00:50:49,400 --> 00:50:51,120 We'll come here later, shall we? 857 00:50:51,120 --> 00:50:55,520 Castlemartin's cliffs offer climbers of all levels 858 00:50:55,520 --> 00:50:58,200 a chance to get close to nature. 859 00:50:58,200 --> 00:51:01,280 And very soon, I'll be joining them. 860 00:51:03,360 --> 00:51:05,640 Well, we're drastically running out of land, 861 00:51:05,640 --> 00:51:07,200 so I guess we're nearly here. 862 00:51:07,200 --> 00:51:09,760 Yes, this is the top of the climb. 863 00:51:09,760 --> 00:51:11,800 Oh, my word. 864 00:51:11,800 --> 00:51:17,960 Somewhere down there is a tried and tested route, known as Blue Sky. 865 00:51:17,960 --> 00:51:23,000 The idea is to abseil down and climb back up. 866 00:51:23,000 --> 00:51:25,520 Libby will lead and I'll follow. 867 00:51:25,520 --> 00:51:27,320 It's really happening. 868 00:51:27,320 --> 00:51:29,960 - I'm afraid it is. - Oh, gosh. OK. 869 00:51:29,960 --> 00:51:31,760 Yes, no turning back now. 870 00:51:31,760 --> 00:51:34,640 Yes. How far down is the sea? 871 00:51:34,640 --> 00:51:36,280 At the moment? 872 00:51:36,280 --> 00:51:37,840 - It's at the end of the rope. - OK. 873 00:51:37,840 --> 00:51:39,680 How long's your rope? 874 00:51:39,680 --> 00:51:43,560 It's probably 50 metres or so. 875 00:51:43,560 --> 00:51:46,000 - OK. - If you hit the sea, then you've gone too far. 876 00:51:46,000 --> 00:51:47,360 - Right. - OK? 877 00:51:50,560 --> 00:51:52,240 Oh, my word. 878 00:51:52,240 --> 00:51:55,560 That is a long way down. 879 00:51:57,400 --> 00:52:00,080 Libby's climbed here for 20 years, 880 00:52:00,080 --> 00:52:03,440 so it's no time before she's reached the sea. 881 00:52:03,440 --> 00:52:05,320 Now, it's my turn. 882 00:52:05,320 --> 00:52:09,280 As soon as I drop over the edge here, the only way out 883 00:52:09,280 --> 00:52:12,360 is back up this rope. 884 00:52:12,360 --> 00:52:15,920 And as weird as it feels, I'm off. 885 00:52:22,000 --> 00:52:24,960 Once over the edge, I'm in a different world. 886 00:52:27,480 --> 00:52:29,000 Look at this for a view. 887 00:52:29,000 --> 00:52:31,320 It's absolutely extraordinary. 888 00:52:34,960 --> 00:52:39,760 - Nearly there, Libby. - There's a nice ledge to stand on there. 889 00:52:39,760 --> 00:52:42,320 - Is this all right? - Yes, come to there. 890 00:52:42,320 --> 00:52:45,360 What a spot this is. It's crystal clear water. 891 00:52:45,360 --> 00:52:48,000 - Think it looks inviting? - Do you know what? 892 00:52:48,000 --> 00:52:51,960 I wouldn't mind having a little dip, but I bet it's a bit nippy. 893 00:52:53,120 --> 00:52:54,440 There is a special sense 894 00:52:54,440 --> 00:52:57,240 of isolation down here. 895 00:52:57,240 --> 00:53:01,480 But with the tide creeping up the cliff, it's time to start climbing. 896 00:53:01,480 --> 00:53:06,040 Right then. Blue Sky, here we come. 897 00:53:06,040 --> 00:53:09,920 It's Libby's job to secure our rope to the cliff as she goes up. 898 00:53:09,920 --> 00:53:12,800 Have you got enough slack? Is that all right? 899 00:53:12,800 --> 00:53:16,280 Yes, that's good. That's great. 900 00:53:16,280 --> 00:53:19,360 That looks a bit hairy round that outside. 901 00:53:21,600 --> 00:53:24,560 Quite an odd feeling when your climber disappears. 902 00:53:26,160 --> 00:53:28,880 Once Libby's safe and on a ledge, it's my turn. 903 00:53:28,880 --> 00:53:31,600 - OK, Libby? - Yes, I'm ready when you are. 904 00:53:31,600 --> 00:53:33,240 Climbing now. 905 00:53:33,240 --> 00:53:37,560 - OK! - Blue Sky. 906 00:53:37,560 --> 00:53:39,520 Stand by. 907 00:53:41,600 --> 00:53:44,120 Oh, it's lovely rock. 908 00:53:46,440 --> 00:53:49,240 This is the secret of Castlemartin. 909 00:53:49,240 --> 00:53:52,720 It's the way the sea exploits the cracks in the limestone cliffs 910 00:53:52,720 --> 00:53:55,160 that's created fantastic gullies, 911 00:53:55,160 --> 00:53:59,040 overhangs and sea stacks. 912 00:53:59,040 --> 00:54:03,680 A vertical landscape and a limitless playground for climbers. 913 00:54:05,680 --> 00:54:08,920 You've got to look at this. You can see the way that 914 00:54:08,920 --> 00:54:11,360 - all this limestone has been weathered. - Yeah. 915 00:54:11,360 --> 00:54:14,440 - The rock formation's incredible there, isn't it? - Yes. 916 00:54:14,440 --> 00:54:16,760 Really sharp. Sharp edges. 917 00:54:16,760 --> 00:54:19,560 Like it's been made to climb this, isn't it? 918 00:54:19,560 --> 00:54:21,640 I think it probably has been, yes. 919 00:54:23,960 --> 00:54:25,760 What a lovely day for a cruise. 920 00:54:25,760 --> 00:54:27,760 Hello! 921 00:54:32,080 --> 00:54:35,920 - That's it. - This is the first stage, then? - Yes. 922 00:54:35,920 --> 00:54:39,600 Please tell me you've got a picnic ready?! 923 00:54:39,600 --> 00:54:43,040 Yes, we've got some wine chilling in the cabinet there! 924 00:54:43,040 --> 00:54:45,880 I thought this ledge would be a little bit bigger than it is. 925 00:54:45,880 --> 00:54:50,880 - This is quite palatial. - This is massive(!) Yes. - Yeah. 926 00:54:50,880 --> 00:54:55,200 After our pit stop, Libby's off again to mark the rest of the route. 927 00:54:55,200 --> 00:54:58,920 - Climb when you're ready, Matt! - Climbing! 928 00:55:02,600 --> 00:55:05,120 While Libby had breezed up the cliff with ease, 929 00:55:05,120 --> 00:55:07,160 it wasn't turning out that way for me. 930 00:55:09,080 --> 00:55:10,720 This is so annoying. 931 00:55:10,720 --> 00:55:13,640 I can't see that hand cord at all. 932 00:55:13,640 --> 00:55:16,520 Castlemartin's secret world was turning into a bit of a trial. 933 00:55:16,520 --> 00:55:21,160 I think I'm a bit knackered here. 934 00:55:21,160 --> 00:55:23,040 Are you on that nice ledge, then? 935 00:55:23,040 --> 00:55:25,880 Well, I'm not... To be fair, I think I've come a route 936 00:55:25,880 --> 00:55:28,600 that I shouldn't really have bothered. 937 00:55:28,600 --> 00:55:32,040 Maybe I should have stayed up to the right of where I am, 938 00:55:32,040 --> 00:55:34,280 - but I'm going to work my way around. - OK. 939 00:55:38,080 --> 00:55:40,640 Do you know, as lovely as places like this are... 940 00:55:41,600 --> 00:55:44,360 ..when you're hanging on by your fingertips, 941 00:55:44,360 --> 00:55:47,160 really the view is the last thing you're thinking about! 942 00:55:48,680 --> 00:55:51,880 But I'm sure it looks lovely behind me. 943 00:55:55,360 --> 00:55:58,560 Oh! Goodness me! 944 00:55:58,560 --> 00:56:00,720 That was tricky back there. 945 00:56:00,720 --> 00:56:04,280 - I've just found a new route. - Blue Sky variation. - Yes. 946 00:56:04,280 --> 00:56:06,160 It's the Secret Britain route. 947 00:56:06,160 --> 00:56:09,480 - Yes! - No-one's ever been there before. 948 00:56:09,480 --> 00:56:12,720 - And probably never, ever again either. - Yes! 949 00:56:12,720 --> 00:56:14,880 You're all right. 950 00:56:16,520 --> 00:56:20,800 - Last little bit. - Oh, I know. 951 00:56:20,800 --> 00:56:26,120 - That's it. - Well done! - Yes! 952 00:56:26,120 --> 00:56:29,560 - Big hugs. - Yeah. - Don't lean back. - Yeah. 953 00:56:29,560 --> 00:56:31,680 - Brilliant. - That was terrific, I tell you. 954 00:56:34,040 --> 00:56:36,640 At times it was hairy, but when you do take a moment, 955 00:56:36,640 --> 00:56:40,200 - just to catch your breath... - Well done. 956 00:56:40,200 --> 00:56:42,440 Even if the view was just of this! 957 00:56:48,760 --> 00:56:51,800 This is secret Britain at its best... 958 00:56:53,440 --> 00:56:56,600 ..a place that only seabirds can call home. 959 00:56:58,920 --> 00:57:01,080 But it's ours to discover. 960 00:57:03,520 --> 00:57:06,320 That really does feel like the calm after the storm 961 00:57:06,320 --> 00:57:09,480 and I have an exhausted sense of achievement. 962 00:57:09,480 --> 00:57:11,320 But I've got the war wounds to prove 963 00:57:11,320 --> 00:57:13,720 that I really have been part of this landscape. 964 00:57:13,720 --> 00:57:16,680 I've literally been clinging on to it with my fingertips. 965 00:57:16,680 --> 00:57:19,000 But I can now just sit back, 966 00:57:19,000 --> 00:57:21,120 look at this place 967 00:57:21,120 --> 00:57:25,160 and think that I've experienced it in a way that not many people have. 968 00:57:28,240 --> 00:57:32,680 We've journeyed from east to west, crossing a land full of contrasts. 969 00:57:36,200 --> 00:57:38,960 We've uncovered hidden water worlds in the east, 970 00:57:38,960 --> 00:57:41,760 forgotten fokelore in the heart of England... 971 00:57:43,400 --> 00:57:47,200 ..and seen wild Wales in the west. 972 00:57:47,200 --> 00:57:50,600 It's a journey that's shown us incredible beauty, 973 00:57:50,600 --> 00:57:52,840 lying just off the beaten track. 974 00:57:52,840 --> 00:57:57,280 But there are plenty more secrets just waiting to be discovered. 975 00:57:57,280 --> 00:58:00,960 We're only halfway on our adventure as we travel the length of Britain. 976 00:58:03,520 --> 00:58:06,600 Next time, we're back on the road north to find 977 00:58:06,600 --> 00:58:10,720 the secrets hidden away amongst the country's best-known beauty spots. 978 00:58:12,600 --> 00:58:15,040 I'll be visiting a dramatic waterfall 979 00:58:15,040 --> 00:58:18,320 in one of Cumbria's undiscovered valleys. 980 00:58:18,320 --> 00:58:21,960 Oh, man. Honestly. I cannot stop smiling. 981 00:58:21,960 --> 00:58:24,320 While I'm heading underground 982 00:58:24,320 --> 00:58:29,480 to see Yorkshire's famous Three Peaks country in a whole new light. 983 00:58:29,480 --> 00:58:32,040 It's absolutely amazing. 984 00:58:50,040 --> 00:58:52,920 Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd 985 00:58:52,920 --> 00:58:56,080 E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk