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Gloucestershire

Countryfile is in Gloucestershire, where Matt gives the trees at Batsford Arboretum a health check using a clever bit of x-ray kit to look for decay.

Countryfile is in Gloucestershire, where Matt gives the trees at Batsford Arboretum a health check, looking to spot any signs of decay with a clever bit of x-ray kit.

Meanwhile, Ellie heads to the International Centre for Birds of Prey - the oldest dedicated bird of prey centre in the world. She looks at the work the centre do to treat and rehabilitate injured birds, as well as their renowned captive breeding programme for birds such as the Californian Condor. Ellie also goes to Nature in Art, the world's first gallery dedicated exclusively to art inspired by nature.

In My Countryside, comedian Josh Widdicombe takes viewers on a personal journey to the Welsh campsite and beach he loved as a child and explains why it's special to him and his family.

As we ask viewers to nominate their farming heroes for the 2016 Food and Farming Awards, Adam Henson revisits one of 2015's finalists, 18-year-old Cameron Hendry, who tragically lost his father on Christmas Day 2014.

A new law has been now introduced to tackle the crisis of thousands of neglected and abandoned horses. But will it solve the problem? Tom Heap investigates.

1 hour

Last on

Mon 25 Jan 2016 01:55

Tree health check

Tree health check

Batsford Arboretum nearby Moreton-in-Marsh has been collecting and caring for exotic tree species since the 19th century. The 56-acre arboretum is home to one of the largest private tree collections in the country, providing something interesting to see throughout the year. Matt Baker meets head gardener Matthew Hall who shows him the latest technology being used to monitor the health of trees in the arboretum. Using a sonic hammer Matt is shown the decay of a beech tree. Then he watches on as the tree is felled before helping with the clear up.

Nature in art

Nature in art
Ellie Harrison visits Nature in Art near Gloucester to take a closer look at the world鈥檚 first museum dedicated to nature. Ellie meets director Simon Trapnell whose father opened the gallery because he felt nature wasn鈥檛 properly represented in established galleries. Today the gallery features works from artists around the world including Picasso and David Shepherd. Later Ellie meets young artist Holly Brookes who has been inspired by the gallery and gone on to become an award winning artist in her own right.

Josh Widdicombe: My countryside

Josh Widdicombe: My countryside

Stand-up comedian Josh Widdicombe takes a trip down memory lane back to his treasured family holidays in Wales. Every summer from the age of 6 Josh spent two weeks camping in Pembrokeshire at the same campsite, revisiting the same beach for almost a decade. A nostalgic Josh recreates the fun times he had on holiday by pitching his tent before a sleepless night in the Welsh countryside. The following day Josh visits the beach for a round of cricket and paddle in the sea before finishing off with a nice Pembrokeshire cream tea.

Countryfile farming heroes

Countryfile farming heroes

Last year, as part of the 麻豆社鈥檚 Food and Farming Awards, we launched the Countryfile Farming Heroes award. Cameron Hendry was one of the three finalists. At the age of just 17 he had taken over the running of a 2000 acre Scottish hill farm after the sudden death of his dad. Although he didn't win, the judges were impressed by Cameron鈥檚 determination to keep the farm running. Adam Henson's travelled back up to Scotland to see how well Cameron has been coping and to get this year's Countryfile Farming Hero award underway. If you know of somebody like Cameron who could be our 2016 Farming Hero we would love to hear from you.

Tackling the horse welfare crisis

Tackling the horse welfare crisis

There are thought to be thousands of horses across the UK that have either been illegally left on private land or abandoned outright by people who no longer wish to care for them. But new laws have now been brought in, in England and Wales, which mean these horses can be seized and in many cases rehomed. Tom Heap asks whether the new legislation is helping to solve the problem and improve the welfare of abandoned horses. Despite the fact that in some cases seized animals have to be put down, organisations like the RSPCA say the new law is making a difference. But Tom also hears concerns about the way the law works in practice, including a rather angry opinion from the masked owner of fly-grazed horse.

If you see a horse with welfare problems you should contact the RSPCA on 0300 1234999. For a horse without welfare issues that is being illegally fly-grazed contact your local council or, if it is close to the road, the police.

Birds of prey

Birds of prey

The international centre for birds of prey in Newent is home to one of the largest collections of raptors in the world. Founded in 1967 by falconer Phillip Glasier, his daughter Jemima Parry-Jones MBE now runs the centre and has devoted her life to falconry and raptor conservation. Ellie meets Jemima and finds out about the incredible work they are doing to rehabilitate injured wild birds. Then she comes face to face with Moccas the Andean condor, just one of a number of vulture species critically threatened with extinction that the centre is trying to help.

Tai Chi

Tai Chi

Batsford arboretum was the brainchild of Victorian eccentric Lord Redesdale. He created it after returning from diplomatic posts in Russia, China and Japan. His love of the Far East inspired him to transform Batsford with exotic trees, but as Matt finds out Lord Redesdale鈥檚 love of this culture didn鈥檛 stop with landscaping.

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Matt Baker
Presenter Ellie Harrison
Presenter Adam Henson
Presenter Tom Heap
Participant Josh Widdicombe
Participant Cameron Hendry
Executive Producer William Lyons
Series Producer Joanna Brame

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