Countryfile

County Durham (26x13)

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Countryfile is in the beautiful County Durham, a place Matt Baker likes to call home. He grew up on the family farm in the Durham Dales and this week makes an extra special visit to help his mum with lambing. Beyond the farm, Ellie Harrison explores one of Britain's great undiscovered secrets. The farmsteads of Weardale used to have a thriving farming community, but now only ruins remain. Ellie finds out about the people who lived here and learns what is being done to preserve a part of Weardale's evocative heritage before it disappears forever. She also takes a trip along the River Deerness, one of the many tributaries of the River Wear, where volunteers are out in force monitoring fish passes and rebuilding the banks of the river. Meanwhile, Adam takes a trip to Cornwall to see a breed of sheep more at home in the Swiss Alps, and Jules Hudson joins the steam enthusiasts preparing the Severn Valley Railway for the start of the tourist season. Working dogs play a vital role in the life of the countryside, and the best ones are worth many thousands of pounds. But, as Tom Heap discovers, these valuable animals are now becoming the victims of organised crime.