Countryfile

Gower (26x28)

: 13, 2014

Countryfile is in Gower, south Wales, where Matt Baker explores Whiteford Burrows, one of the most important and richest sand dune systems in Britain. He hunts for flora and fauna and meets the Welsh mountain ponies who have made this environment home. He also explodes previously unearthed World War II ordnance on the sands with the MOD. Ellie Harrison joins him for the final massive detonation. Adam Henson is getting hands on with his sheep to explore the wonders of wool, while wildlife cameraman Richard Taylor-Jones is on the lookout for fox cubs, a creature he has never before managed to catch on camera. In honour of the World Cup final, Ellie Harrison meets the locals who have turned the old Swansea football pitch, Vetch Field, into a haven of growing and community spirit. She also discovers Vernon Watkins, Dylan Thomas's best friend and confidant, who was a remarkable poet in his own right. Ellie meets Gwen Watkins, Vernon's widow, who tells her about his poetry, inspired by the beauty of the landscape around him. Selective breeding of animals has made a huge difference to food production - lambs produce more meat, cows provide more milk, chickens lay more eggs. But is there a downside? Tom Heap investigates concerns that animal welfare is paying the price for increased productivity.