Countryfile Spring Diaries

Original version

The BBC South region started on 5th January 1961 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One South.

BBC One South HD

Documentaries

Factual: Science & Nature: Nature & Environment

Countryfile spin-off series unveiling the secrets of spring

Simulcast of network BBC One in high definition. From 03/11/2010

BBC One HD

BBC One London

London

BBC Northern Ireland region started on 19th April 1955 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One Northern Ireland.

BBC One Northern Ireland

Simulcast of BBC One Northern Ireland in high definition. From 24/10/2012

BBC One Northern Ireland HD

BBC One Wales

Wales

Simulcast of BBC One Wales in high definition. From 29/01/2013

BBC One Wales HD

BBC One Scotland

Scotland

Simulcast of BBC One Scotland in high definition. From 14/01/2013

BBC One Scotland HD

The BBC East region started on 1st May 1959 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One East.

BBC One East

BBC One Cambridgeshire

The BBC South West region started on 20th April 1961 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One South West.

BBC One South West

BBC One Channel Islands

BBC One South

BBC One Oxfordshire

BBC One West Midlands

The BBC North East & Cumbria region started in 1959 (tbc) as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One North East & Cumbria.

BBC One North East & Cumbria

BBC One North West

Formerly part of a wider BBC One South East region that included London and part of the South region. Separated from BBC One London 2001-09-03 following reorganisation of the South East region.

BBC One South East

The BBC West region started on 1st September 1957 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One West.

BBC One West

BBC One Yorkshire

BBC One Yorks & Lincs

BBC One region covering Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.

BBC One East Midlands

BBC One Oxfordshire HD

BBC One South East HD

BBC One Nightlight

BBC One South West HD

Formerly part of a wider BBC One South East region. Separated as BBC One London 2001-09-03 following reorganisation of the South East region.

BBC One London HD

BBC One North West HD

BBC One North East & Cumbria HD

BBC One West HD

BBC One East HD

BBC One West Midlands HD

BBC One Cambridgeshire HD

BBC One East Midlands HD

BBC One Yorks & Lincs HD

BBC One Channel Islands HD

BBC One Yorkshire HD

John Craven

Margherita Taylor

Jules Hudson

Paul Martin

Steve Brown

Tom Heap

William Lyons

Nicola Lafferty

Countryfile Spring Diaries: Series 4: Episode 1

Episode 1

Series 4

BBC One - Countryfile Spring Diaries, Series 4, Episode 1

Margherita Taylor visits rural villages hit hard by crime.

Margherita Taylor learns that rural villages can be hit hard by crime, and Paul Martin meets a man who fell in love with the creatures who threaten his livelihood.

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 per cent 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 100 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. Seventy per cent 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 narrow eight-day window when pollination can happen?

John also reveals the best places to see spring wildlife in the UK, and Tom Heap reveals that rural hedgehog numbers are falling faster than their city cousins.

Countryfile Spring Diaries: Series 4

BBC One

Countryfile spin-off series unveiling the secrets of spring.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Countryfile Spring Diaries

Series 4

Episode 1

Contributors

Genres

Formats

Brand

Series

BBC One South HD

About BBC One