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Matt is at the Stiperstones, in the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This rocky ridge is hardly the ideal location for setting up home, but in the mid-1800s migrant workers poured in, attracted by the booming lead mining industry. Now long deserted, some of the cottages the miners built have been lovingly restored by Natural England. In front of a roaring fire Matt meets 79 year old Mary Huxley, a local farmer and butter churner who’s here to teach him a thing or two about self-sufficiency.

Anita finds herself in an unexpected location this week – a toxic scrapyard in Shropshire! This former breakers’ yard is a polluted mix of rusting metal, oil and tyres. It is now at the centre of a multi-million pound restoration project. Anita meets Peter Bowyer from Natural England, to find out why this piece of land is so important. It borders the Fenn’s, Whixall and Bettisfield Mosses, one of the largest areas of peat bog in the country and home to a host of rare plants and animals. Anita joins a band of volunteers working to protect this vital habitat.

Dementia is a cruel diagnosis, both for those who have it and those who are left to care, but new research shows that farmers living with it are faced with a very specific set of problems. Charlotte Smith hears from farming and rural families, across the country, affected by dementia and speaks to Ian Sherriff, Chair of the government’s Rural Dementia Task Force to find out what is being done to help.

We kick off this year’s ‘My Countryside’ with Michelin star chef Michael Caines in his home county of Devon. We join Michael on a wild camping adventure as he heads out on foot exploring the wilds of Dartmoor. Michael discusses how the larder of Devon inspired him to become a chef. After a night under the stars he forages some wild mushrooms and cooks up a feast using wild beef from local cattle that graze the moors.

Continuing on his Stiperstones journey, Matt stops off at The Hollies nature reserve. This cluster of ancient, gnarled Holly trees is thought to have been planted 400 years ago, making it one of the oldest Holly groves in Europe. Matt does a spot of pruning with John Hughes from the Shropshire Wildlife Trust; a man who has made it his life’s work to protect these extraordinary trees, and knows each one of them by name!Ìý

Anita is getting hands on with her scrapyard challenge. ÌýShe clears tyres with Luke Neal from the Shropshire Wildlife Trust, and learns all about their ambitious plans to restore the site and create a brand new centre for visitors. But what about the scrap left behind? Rob Holmquist is a local artist on the lookout for raw material, who’s been busy making play equipment and bug hotels from the scrapyard tyres. Anita shows off her creative side by painting one of his latest designs. Ìý

Snailbeach Mine was once one of the biggest and most productive lead mines in the country, excavating 3,000 tons of ore per year. Under the expert guidance of Andrew Wood from the Shropshire Mines Trust, Matt explores the maze of underground tunnels left behind by the miners. This former beacon of industry has now fallen silent but it’s far from empty, as it has become a haven for the rare Lesser Horseshoe Bat. The question is, will Matt catch a glimpse of one of these elusive little creatures?