Countryfile Spring Diaries

John Craven explores the counties at the very heart of England and celebrates their spring beauty, wildlife and cultural sites, including a visit to Shakespeare country, stopping off at the childhood home of Anne Hathaway. Margherita Taylor investigates how cuts to police numbers are affecting rural villages like Martock in Somerset, where there hasn't been a police station in the village since the 1980s. Since 2010, England and Wales have cut 56,000 police officers, a shocking 31% drop in numbers, but demand is rising. It looks like criminals are now targeting the places where the thin blue line is stretched to the limit, and in the face of a spate of crime and antisocial behaviour the people of Martock have had to take the law into their own hands. Jules Hudson is on the case finding out about a new way to realise the dream of owning a rural retreat. With church attendances dwindling year on year, many places of worship are lying empty, and there are over one hundred on the currently on the market ripe for renovation. Jules meets the owner of one stunning church conversion in Exeter and a heritage builder who has just taken on the biggest church conversion of his career. Paul Martin is discovering that our back gardens can be a convenient snack stop for cheeky creatures who are always on the lookout for a free meal. Otter numbers in particular are on the rise in the UK, and Paul has been meeting a man whose battle to save his fish stocks turned into an unlikely love affair. Steve Brown is in Gloucestershire, learning more about a future where British-grown fruits like apples, pears and cherries could become expensive delicacies. Due to climate change, the blossom on fruit trees has been arriving earlier each year, and flowering too soon could mean that there are fewer bees around. 70% of our crops depend on bees doing their bit for pollination at the right time. What will the future look like if the bees and blossom no longer line up perfectly in the narro

Today, John Craven stops off at Broadway Tower in Worcestershire, which was designed by Capability Brown and has unparalleled views across 16 counties. Margherita Taylor investigates the issue of litter in our oceans, with 5000 pieces of plastic pollution to be found per mile on British beaches. Paul Martin is at Hidcote Arts and Crafts garden in Gloucestershire, where he picks up some tips on how to keep container plants packed with colour and interest for the summer months. Jules Hudson is in Scotland meeting veterans who are coping with post-traumatic stress disorder. The Bravehound charity run by Fiona McDonald provides ex-soldiers with specially trained dogs to help them with everything from fetching their medication to waking them from the nightmares they suffer. Steve Brown is on the trail of a deadly new disease called RDH2, which can kill our pet rabbits. There is no cure, and the virus has also been cutting a swathe through wild rabbit populations, which are down by 60%. John also reveals the best places in the UK to see spring flowers, and Tom Heap investigates the reasons why rural areas see slower response times when they call the fire brigade.

Today John Craven visits Broughton Castle in Oxfordshire, a popular period drama film location that has provided a stunning backdrop to movies like Shakespeare in Love and more recently Wolf Hall. Jules Hudson is on the trail of a tiny prehistoric creature that is holding up building projects all over the UK, at a time when we have a housing shortage of four million homes. Keeley Donovan is on the Gower peninsula in Wales to meet a group of women who think that they have found a cure for the worst of their menopause symptoms. Paul Martin heads to Cambridgeshire to meet Martin Lines, a third-generation arable farmer who has turned his back on the farming methods of the past. Cornwall couple Demelza and Danny love the outdoors, and Margherita Taylor is finding out how they inspired their young daughter and the entire village of Hayle in Cornwall to follow in their footsteps. And John reveals the best places in the UK to go cold water swimming.

Today, John Craven visits Broughton Castle in Oxfordshire, which was once besieged by royalists after the owners raised an army to fight King Charles I. Margherita Taylor finds out what can be done about the 300,000 tonnes of our clothing that gets dumped into landfill each year. Fast fashion items - those that are worn once and thrown away - are considered to be the worst offenders. Keeley Donovan is in Derbyshire, meeting the lucky people who get to live in a stately home without needing to win the lottery. Paul Martin’s garden is in a bit of a state after the winter, but now as temperatures climb and new growth begins to appear, spring is definitely the time we think about getting outdoors and having a good sort out. Jules Hudson and Teddy are on a mission to find our why the nations pets are so fat. Over half of British dogs are obese and some of their weight problems could be genetic. John shares the most impressive stately homes to visit in the spring, and Tom Heap reveals the damage done to our wild bird populations by egg collectors who raid their nests.

Jules Hudson is on the coast in Cornwall investigating what happens to our pets when we can no longer look after them ourselves. Margherita Taylor follows up her report on the work of the dedicated volunteers who rescue wildlife that has been injured by marine litter on our shores. Paul Martin explores our passion for daffodils, discovering that our enthusiasm for this flower could actually be threatening the survival of the one and only native daffodil that we have left. Steve Brown dons a special suit to visit the UK’s most high-tech farm. John Craven shares the most impressive places to see the spring tides, and Ellie Harrison explores some tree houses for grown-ups!