A Wild Year (BBC)

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Nature Documentary hosted by Toby Jones, published by BBC in 2020 - English narration

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A unique insight into the nature of three iconic regions of the British countryside.

[edit] Pembrokeshire Coast

In the far south west corner of Wales lies Pembrokeshire's wild and rugged coast. Twisting and turning along the edge of the Atlantic, life on this ancient coastline is defined by the rhythm of the seasons and the power of the sea. Fishing these fertile waters has long been a tradition here. Every day, local fisherman Jono Voyce heads out from Solva harbour into St Brides Bay to fish for the lobster and crab he supplies to these coastal communities. With the arrival of spring, he will soon be busier than ever, providing for thousands of visitors who flock to this coast every summer for a taste of the sea. By July, beaches are the playground for countless visitors. But their activity depends on the tides. Tides give a predictable rhythm to life on the coast. In Pembrokeshire, where the water level rises as much as 30 feet a day, they are some of the highest in the world. The sheer force of the water sweeping in has helped forge this ragged coast and formed its rocky foreshore, providing the perfect opportunity for a great British pastime – rock pooling! As summer drifts into autumn, October sees new visitors arrive on Pembrokeshire's beaches. Every autumn, up to two thousand grey seals come ashore to give birth in sheltered coves and bays. It may seem a strange time of year to give birth, when the weather is about to get worse, but it gives the females a whole summer of fattening up in order to feed their pups an especially rich milk. These youngsters have just a month to grow and put on the blubber they will need to keep them warm in the north Atlantic waters. A thousand miles away across the ocean, hurricane season has started. The Pembrokeshire coast is the first to feel the legacy of these storms. In anticipation of huge, battering waves, boats are lifted out of harbours for protection. In the town of Tenby, there is no denying the winter gloom, but by celebrating annual traditions, communities bring in some welcome light and warmth!

[edit] Fens

Hidden away in the most easterly part of the British Isles are the Fens of East Anglia, a landscape of big skies and distant horizons, wild wetlands and fertile farmland. Water has always been the driving force here - its ebb and flow has shaped the Fens for thousands of years. The ancient wetlands covered hundreds of square miles and overflowed with wildlife. Today, well over 90% has gone, drained over the centuries and converted into farmland. Yet despite these changes, it is still possible to glimpse the richness of those wetlands. Every winter, thousands of migrating whooper swans return to the flooded pastures of the Ouse washes from their Arctic breeding grounds. Here, they join thousands of other waterfowl in one of Britain's greatest wildlife gatherings. On the Welney Wetlands, spring sees 'mad' march hares boxing over mates. It was once thought these bouts were male hares boxing for dominance, but it is often the females throwing the punches to fend off the attentions of over-eager suitors.

[edit] North York Moors

In the north east of England lies a wild and remote moorland - 550 square miles of windswept heather-clad uplands and deep, sheltered valleys or dales. These are the North York Moors. Over millennia, this spectacular landscape has been shaped by the elements - by water and ice - and more recently by people. Remote farmsteads are dotted all across the high country. On Dale Head Farm, the Barraclough family raise tough swaledale and cheviot sheep, animals bred for the moorland life. They can be left out on the hill year-round because over many generations they have built up an intimate knowledge of their patch - each flock is 'hefted' to the land. The flocks are brought down off the moors to the shelter of the dales a couple of times each year - in the spring for lambing and again in the summer to be shorn of their heavy winter coats. The best shearers can clip 300 sheep in a day.