Kate Humble: Off the Beaten Track

West Wales (2x4)

: 13, 2019

This week, Kate visits Newport in Pembrokeshire and meets the last master thatcher based in Wales. She helps with the harvesting of water reeds - an invasive, thick grass-like plant now used on 80% of thatched roofs in the UK. She then travels to Merthyr Mawr to learn that protected, historical buildings are thatched with heritage wheat straw, creating the classic ‘poured on custard’ effect. In Pendine Sands, Kate joins a cross-country hunt adapted for modern times and struggles to stay on the horse as they chase hounds who have been specifically trained to only pick up on human scent. Up in the mountains, Kate and Teg discover how gentle Scottish highland cattle are tending land that would otherwise be largely unmanageable. Finally, Kate is moved as she and Teg visit an agricultural college that helps neuro-diverse students thrive through a deep connection with the land.