Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Somerset

The team are in Somerset, revisiting areas hit by 2014's floods. Matt Baker talks to farmer Geoff Miller, and Helen Skelton explores the bird life of the area.

The team are in Somerset, revisiting some of the areas and people hit by last year's floods. Matt Baker pays a return visit to farmer Geoff Miller, whose home and business were under water a year ago. Matt discovers whether Geoff's land is bouncing back and if his cattle are now thriving.

Helen Skelton explores the bird life of the area and learns why some birds flourished in the floods while others, like the barn owl, were left fighting for survival. She also hears about a rescue team whose help during the floods was unprecedented.

Anita Rani is in Dawlish, where the storms also hit hard, to find out about the restoration of the devastated railway line. Adam Henson is on his Cotswolds farm, where he gets to grips with a very large bit of agricultural kit.

How our homes, businesses and farmland are defended from flooding is a controversial subject. Tom Heap finds out what the victims of floods think about what's being done to keep them dry in the future - and talks to the minister responsible for protecting them.

1 hour

Recovering from the floods

Recovering from the floods

Matt Baker revisits beef farmer Geoff Miller, whose grazing fields were completely submerged when they first met back in March last year. Matt finds out how Geoff has been getting his grass back to its former green glory following the devastating effects of the flood water on his soil. They assess its current health by carrying out a ph test. Matt then meets local photographer Matilda Temperley who, at the height of the floods, captured their staggering impact and the plight of those affected.

Flood rescue

Flood rescue

During the floods, the Burnham-on-Sea Area Rescue Boat team (BARB) were busy helping villages that were cut off by the rising water. They took important supplies such as food and medicine to those in need, as well as delivering the post by boat. Helen Skelton takes part in a call out with the BARB volunteers. She learns how they turned their hand from working as a hovercraft rescue crew on the coastal mudflats, to doing their bit to help communities in need on the Levels.

Flood protection

Flood protection

Tom Heap returns to formerly flooded areas in both Somerset and Surrey to find out whether people’s lives are back to normal – and to see if they now feel adequately protected against future floods. In Somerset, repairing the damage caused by the water has been a massive undertaking – and some people still have not returned to their homes. But locals do feel much safer after the dredging of nearby rivers. However, in Surrey, Tom hears concern that little has been done to improve their situation since last year and meets one man who has spent £75,000 pounds lifting his house clear of the danger zone. Tom also talks to government minister Dan Rogerson about the effectiveness of their policies for flood protection. 

Restoring Dawlish seafront

Restoring Dawlish seafront

The winter storms last year saw major tidal surges that destroyed the sea wall at Dawlish and swept the foundations of the coastal train track into the sea, leaving it suspended in mid-air. Network Rail worked around the clock to get the track back in use, but work on the seawall is still ongoing. Anita Rani heads to the coast to find out how workers are getting on with restoration and meets a group of passionate local gardeners who are sprucing up Dawlish Station after it was battered by the severe weather. She also catches up with Countryfile cameraman Steve Briers, who was returning home from filming the Somerset floods with Tom Heap last February when storms hit the Dawlish coastline. Living just behind the train track, his driveway was swept into the sea and he was told to evacuate, but he made sure to document the power of nature that he was witnessing.

Helen has a hoot

Helen has a hoot

Helen is on a mission to find out how the Somerset’s wildlife is faring a year on from the flooding. She meets Tony Whitehead at the RSPB’s Greylake Reserve to learn why thousands of birds flock to the Levels for the winter. While these particular bird numbers weren’t hugely affected by the flooding, the impact on barn owls in the area is another story. Helen meets local farmers James Hall and Becky Riley who are passionate about boosting the number of these beautiful birds through participation in the Hawk and Owl Trust’s Community Barn Owl Project.

Adam’s new sprayer

Adam’s new sprayer

This week Adam Heson is taking delivery of a huge piece of machinery, one of the biggest crop sprayers in Europe. He hopes it will help improve his harvest and make his farm more efficient. But before the sprayer hits the fields, Adam has to tend to his sheep with his new dog Peg. He also receives news on whether his new Highland Bull, Archie, is going to be a dad for the very first time.

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Matt Baker
Presenter Helen Skelton
Presenter Adam Henson
Presenter Tom Heap
Executive Producer William Lyons
Series Producer Joanna Brame

Broadcasts