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Helen Skelton explores the Northamptonshire countryside that inspired local author Denys Watkins-Pitchford 鈥� affectionately known as 鈥楤B鈥� 鈥� to write more than sixty books during his lifetime. Around half of these were books for children, including classic novels Brendon Chase, celebrating its 70th year, and Carnegie medal-winning The Little Grey Men. As a child, BB was home-schooled and as a result spent much of his time out of doors, riding, fishing, shooting and butterfly hunting. Helen discovers how his books celebrated the countryside and encouraged generations of children to get outside and explore.

IMAGE: Helen with Bryan Holden of the BB Society

Helen finds out that as well as being a countryman and author, 鈥楤B鈥� was a talented artist who illustrated his own books with beautiful depictions of the countryside that inspired him. BB鈥檚 evocative scraperboard illustrations document his stories. Helen has a go at her own illustration in the grounds of Lamport Hall, the home of the Isham family, in the village where BB was born and grew up. She meets children from the local Northgate School Arts College, winners of the 2014 BB Creative Arts Award. This annual competition is held between local schools to celebrate and commemorate his artistic legacy.

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IMAGE: Helen gets drawing with pupils from Northgate School Arts College

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Of all BB鈥檚 books for children, Brendon Chase is arguably one of his best-known novels. 2014 marks seventy years since the publication of the book, described by contemporary children鈥檚 author Phillip Pullman as 鈥渂rimming with delight鈥�. It is notable for the vivid realism of its depictions of three runaway boys鈥� living in the fictional woodland of the title. Helen ventures into Fermyn Wood Country Park with a group of local children and Education Ranger Eric Sant to see if they have what it takes to build a shelter fit for 鈥渁 new generation of outlaws鈥�.

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IMAGE: Helen, Eric and local children prepare their woodland shelter

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BB was a man of many talents and a passionate fisherman. He has even being called 鈥渢he father of modern carp fishing鈥� and published his own guide to the sport "Confessions of a Carp Fisher" in 1950. While at Fermyn Woods Country Park in Northamptonshire, Helen and the group of local school children have a go at coarse fishing for themselves. With the help of James Roche and local coaches from the Angling Trust, they see for themselves who comes closest to catching a carp that BB would be proud of.

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IMAGE: Local school children and Helen fishing

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One creature that made an impression on the young BB was the regal Apatura Iris 鈥� the Purple Emperor butterfly. As a boy these creatures fascinated BB and at a time when they were declining in Northamptonshire he embarked on a personal mission to boost the population. He would spend hours collecting eggs from the local woodlands, hatching them in his homemade vivarium and releasing the males back into the wild. Today Fermyn Woods is home to one of the most successful populations. Helen sets out with National Trust Naturalist Matthew Oates to learn more about the elusive egg laying of this beautiful native butterfly.

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IMAGE: Helen takes a seat at the end of the filming day at Fermyn Woods

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In years gone by the sturdy frame and small size of the Shetland pony made them perfect for working the land and even helping in the mines.听 These days they鈥檙e being used for a much cuter and more entertaining purpose 鈥� racing and dancing!听 Adam Henson meets the young jockeys training for the Shetland Pony Grand National. He gets a sneak preview as three young Shetland riders put their ponies through their paces. Then Adam meets a celebrity of the equine world - Socks.听 This Shetland pony stallion is famous world-wide after racking up more than seven million YouTube hits with his moonwalking skills.

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The National Trust is running a campaign to re-connect children with nature, but how easy is that going to be? To find out, Tom Heap heads to Plymouth to meet the Carrington family. They鈥檙e too worried to let their children go and play in the woods on their own, but Tom finds some other safe and supervised ways that can enjoy the great outdoors, whether that鈥檚 on the land or in the sea. But will they like them?

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Ellie Harrison discovers Newmarket in Suffolk, a town with a passion for racing, where even the traffic lights are triggered by horses. Here thoroughbreds thunder along miles of gallops twisting and turning along the border with Cambridgeshire. Newmarket鈥檚 historic heathland, raced over since the 1600s, is maintained by Nick Patton and a team of twenty-five heathmen. But as Ellie finds out, the grass isn鈥檛 always greener on the gallops. Racing truly developed once the Jockey Club moved its headquarters to a newly built coffee house in Newmarket.听 Ellie visits the original 1752 room and hears how fortunes were won and lost, as gentlemen and players placed bets with early bookmakers.

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Dove Stone Reservoir, in the north west of the Peak District National Park, was built in the 1960s to collect water from surrounding moorlands.听 Today it is also a RSPB nature reserve and every week a group a young people come to discover more about the area.听听 Ellie helps the Dove Stone Youth Rangers, all between 11 and 19 years old, fell trees and then watches some fascinating wildlife footage they have caught on camera traps.听 She also hears that being part of the group has helped change their view of the countryside and proved impressive in a university interview.

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Adam Henson travels to Dorset to meet an inspirational two year old who already has his own flock of sheep. Arthur Jones spends five days a week on a farm with his grandmother. He suffers from cerebral palsy and his attachment to one lamb in particular has really helped him overcome some of the challenges he faces every day. The family farms Dorset sheep, the only native breed that can give birth all year round. It鈥檚 an unusual sight to see lambs at Christmas but they do have their uses. Arthur is practising for his nursery's nativity play and his cute lambs will be the centre of attention.

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The summer months see crowds flock to the seaside. Sadly some leave a lasting impact. According to the Marine Conservation Society, an average of 1,700 pieces of litter are found on every kilometre of beach in the UK. John rolls his sleeves up to pick litter from Cromer鈥檚 sandy beach, with the help of children from Kelling Primary School and Beachwatch Officer, Lauren Davis.

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Matt Baker meets members of the Shipston-On-Stour Young Farmers鈥� Club to learn some essential farm skills in preparation for the Warwickshire County Rally. He visits Tom Keningale, a budding gamekeeper, to get some tips on chicken-plucking and then meets Annabel James as she herds sheep with her dog, Fly. Matt also takes on a tractor manoeuvring challenge at the final rally, while the young farmers show off some impressive welly-wanging. Finally Ellie and the boys go head-to-head with Matt and the girls鈥� team, in a close fought tug-of-war.

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