1 00:00:34,267 --> 00:00:37,693 PERDITA: You just look at water, this sort of perpetual movement 2 00:00:37,795 --> 00:00:42,193 and reflection and the journey it's on. 3 00:00:43,256 --> 00:00:46,763 DEREK: You can hear the water lapping and you just feel very 4 00:00:46,826 --> 00:00:47,388 close to it. 5 00:00:49,138 --> 00:00:51,732 EMMA: You want to look after it because you love it, but equally 6 00:00:51,748 --> 00:00:53,966 you want to look after it for the wildlife and the visitors 7 00:00:54,373 --> 00:00:57,326 and the people for whom it's an important part of their family 8 00:00:57,388 --> 00:00:57,748 history. 9 00:01:08,432 --> 00:01:11,154 ROSIE HOLDSWORTH: Hello, I'm Ranger Rosie Holdsworth. This 10 00:01:11,215 --> 00:01:14,057 episode we're doing things a little differently and handing 11 00:01:14,119 --> 00:01:17,600 over to our producer Marnie, who swapped her edit suite for the 12 00:01:17,639 --> 00:01:21,826 calm of the Wey Navigations in Guildford. Marnie lives on a 13 00:01:21,865 --> 00:01:25,256 boat on a canal, so who better to take us down one of Britain's 14 00:01:25,412 --> 00:01:29,975 oldest and most beautiful waterways. Welcome to Wild 15 00:01:30,037 --> 00:01:32,459 Tales, Riverside Reflections. 16 00:01:38,092 --> 00:01:40,815 MARNIE WOODMEADE: Hi, I'm Marnie. I'm an audio producer by 17 00:01:40,875 --> 00:01:44,899 trade, but at home I'm a boater. I live on a wide beam called the 18 00:01:44,918 --> 00:01:48,301 Alice Rose, and for the past five years the London waterways 19 00:01:48,302 --> 00:01:52,043 have been my home. Today though, I've left my usual stretch of 20 00:01:52,129 --> 00:01:57,246 urban canal behind to explore the Wey Navigations, a 20-mile 21 00:01:57,309 --> 00:02:00,582 blue-green corridor winding its way from Godalming to Thames 22 00:02:00,582 --> 00:02:00,871 lock. 23 00:02:01,778 --> 00:02:04,496 Along the way, I'm hoping to discover the wildlife that 24 00:02:04,575 --> 00:02:08,706 thrives here. And understand why this river matters so much to so 25 00:02:08,888 --> 00:02:12,650 many. And I'm beginning this journey the best way I know how, 26 00:02:13,290 --> 00:02:13,732 by boat. 27 00:02:18,536 --> 00:02:21,974 We're starting today at Dapdune Wharf. We're heading towards a 28 00:02:22,161 --> 00:02:27,302 covered boat shed and I think I can just about see my ride. 29 00:02:28,146 --> 00:02:30,943 As I make my way over, something else catches my eye. 30 00:02:31,568 --> 00:02:33,646 Oh my god, a dragonfly! Look at that dragonfly! 31 00:02:34,144 --> 00:02:37,107 Even a seasoned river dweller like me jumps with excitement 32 00:02:37,108 --> 00:02:41,111 when I see that flash of blue. Anyway, that's got to be Derek, 33 00:02:41,533 --> 00:02:44,158 standing beside an elegant open-topped boat. 34 00:02:44,955 --> 00:02:45,955 Hi Derek, how's it going? 35 00:02:46,033 --> 00:02:46,994 DEREK: Hi, hi, nice to meet you. 36 00:02:47,814 --> 00:02:50,376 MARNIE WOODMEADE: This boat is absolutely beautiful and it's 37 00:02:50,486 --> 00:02:53,220 also got such a stunning name, the Dapdune Bell. 38 00:02:53,267 --> 00:02:55,908 DEREK: Dapdune Bell, named after the wharf here. So it's an 39 00:02:56,111 --> 00:02:58,626 all-electric boat, it's very quiet and smooth. 40 00:02:58,970 --> 00:03:00,689 MARNIE WOODMEADE: That's so different from mine, mine's a 41 00:03:00,705 --> 00:03:04,102 real like... chugger, so you get a sound. But I imagine this is 42 00:03:04,303 --> 00:03:06,246 way better for hearing the sounds of nature as you go up 43 00:03:06,247 --> 00:03:06,625 the river. 44 00:03:06,626 --> 00:03:09,570 DEREK: Yeah, it's completely quiet, so yes, it's really 45 00:03:09,867 --> 00:03:10,109 ideal. 46 00:03:10,430 --> 00:03:13,250 MARNIE WOODMEADE: I'm hoping we get lucky today, because I hear 47 00:03:13,312 --> 00:03:15,352 the river is teeming with wildlife. 48 00:03:15,492 --> 00:03:18,562 DEREK: The grey wagtail nested right above the boat here one 49 00:03:18,594 --> 00:03:23,078 year. We get cormorants, the swans nest, sometimes right in 50 00:03:23,079 --> 00:03:25,359 the creek here as well. They go right past the boat. 51 00:03:25,828 --> 00:03:27,266 MARNIE WOODMEADE: All right, well I can't wait, let's go. 52 00:03:28,984 --> 00:03:31,125 We jump aboard and Derek takes the tiller. 53 00:03:32,233 --> 00:03:36,299 Derek is doing a stellar job of reversing out of quite a narrow 54 00:03:36,498 --> 00:03:38,202 entryway. I'm really impressed. 55 00:03:38,203 --> 00:03:39,225 DEREK: I've done that a few times. 56 00:03:40,026 --> 00:03:41,651 MARNIE WOODMEADE: Where are we going to go today? Where are you 57 00:03:41,666 --> 00:03:42,166 taking us? 58 00:03:42,690 --> 00:03:45,940 DEREK: I think we'll be able to get up to Stoke Lock, downstream 59 00:03:46,721 --> 00:03:48,557 towards the Thames, but we're not going that far. 60 00:03:49,588 --> 00:03:52,513 MARNIE WOODMEADE: At the moment we're on... A managed river? 61 00:03:53,153 --> 00:03:55,277 DEREK: It's a natural river, but made navigable, so it's not 62 00:03:55,316 --> 00:03:58,237 quite a canal. There are canal sections where there's a big 63 00:03:58,300 --> 00:04:02,140 meander. They've built a section to cut the corner, so we call it 64 00:04:02,141 --> 00:04:02,780 a Navigation. 65 00:04:03,421 --> 00:04:05,749 MARNIE WOODMEADE: It looks peaceful now, but this stretch 66 00:04:05,750 --> 00:04:09,304 was once a working waterway, with horse-drawn barges carrying 67 00:04:09,366 --> 00:04:10,835 coal and grain to London. 68 00:04:11,538 --> 00:04:13,788 DEREK: So it was one of the earliest navigations in the 69 00:04:13,820 --> 00:04:18,054 country. It dates back to 1653, so it was Sir Richard Weston who 70 00:04:18,101 --> 00:04:22,772 built it, and he saw what the Dutch did with all their canal 71 00:04:22,893 --> 00:04:25,672 systems and thought this is what Surrey needs. 72 00:04:27,032 --> 00:04:29,910 MARNIE WOODMEADE: It took just two years to dig out the 15 mile 73 00:04:29,973 --> 00:04:33,832 stretch from Guildford to Weybridge by hand. The barges 74 00:04:33,871 --> 00:04:37,996 may be long gone but here on the Dapdune Bell the river feels 75 00:04:38,168 --> 00:04:39,450 more alive than ever. 76 00:04:41,090 --> 00:04:44,200 We've just got four little moorhen chicks riding a little 77 00:04:44,231 --> 00:04:47,856 bit in the wave of the boat, clearly just learning how to 78 00:04:47,934 --> 00:04:48,262 swim. 79 00:04:48,852 --> 00:04:52,515 As we cruise along I'm struck by how lush the riverbanks are, 80 00:04:53,138 --> 00:04:56,420 thick with reeds and flowers right up to the water's edge. 81 00:04:56,920 --> 00:04:59,982 It's not just pretty, there's a reason it's left this way. 82 00:05:00,428 --> 00:05:03,192 DEREK: Through the summer plenty of dragonflies and damselflies 83 00:05:03,391 --> 00:05:07,055 lay their eggs on the soft bank so that's why we try and keep a 84 00:05:07,094 --> 00:05:10,841 soft bank for the underwater nymphs and there'll be mayflies 85 00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:14,364 around, plenty of flowers, nectar for them to feed on. 86 00:05:14,364 --> 00:05:16,091 MARNIE WOODMEADE: But not everything growing on the river 87 00:05:16,122 --> 00:05:18,341 bank is as harmless as it looks. 88 00:05:18,341 --> 00:05:20,809 DEREK: One of the plants is Hemlock Water Dropwort, probably 89 00:05:20,810 --> 00:05:22,794 the most poisonous plant in Britain. 90 00:05:22,794 --> 00:05:24,512 MARNIE WOODMEADE: And that's just sitting here amongst this 91 00:05:24,559 --> 00:05:25,559 like idyllic bank? 92 00:05:25,559 --> 00:05:27,950 DEREK: Yeah there's lots of it It's a very common plant. 93 00:05:28,497 --> 00:05:31,564 MARNIE WOODMEADE: We round a bend. On one side, houses, 94 00:05:31,744 --> 00:05:35,764 moored boats and willow trees. And over on the other side sits 95 00:05:35,765 --> 00:05:36,506 the floodplain. 96 00:05:37,486 --> 00:05:40,666 DEREK: Ahead is the original river, and to the left where 97 00:05:40,705 --> 00:05:43,564 we're going to go is one of the canal sections which has been 98 00:05:43,666 --> 00:05:44,728 built to cut the corner. 99 00:05:45,486 --> 00:05:47,463 MARNIE WOODMEADE: Looming up ahead, things are starting to 100 00:05:47,525 --> 00:05:49,103 look a little tight. 101 00:05:50,228 --> 00:05:55,807 Literally, we're squeezing under this ridged bridge, and it looks 102 00:05:55,869 --> 00:05:59,072 like there's a whisper. A whisper of space above us. 103 00:05:59,312 --> 00:06:02,195 DEREK: If the level was high, we wouldn't fit under this one when 104 00:06:02,236 --> 00:06:02,996 we've got heavy rain. 105 00:06:03,294 --> 00:06:04,517 MARNIE WOODMEADE: How often does that happen? 106 00:06:04,896 --> 00:06:07,919 DEREK: Through the summer, not too much. But in the winter, 107 00:06:08,224 --> 00:06:09,365 yeah, a lot, definitely. 108 00:06:09,919 --> 00:06:11,927 MARNIE WOODMEADE: And as we're coming out of the bridge, it 109 00:06:11,943 --> 00:06:13,248 feels like it's changed. 110 00:06:13,529 --> 00:06:16,154 DEREK: It's a little narrower. So this is the canal section. So 111 00:06:16,685 --> 00:06:18,638 they don't need to build it any wider than they need. 112 00:06:19,685 --> 00:06:21,591 MARNIE WOODMEADE: Oh my god, we're causing waves and they're 113 00:06:21,592 --> 00:06:22,279 so beautiful. 114 00:06:22,357 --> 00:06:25,169 DEREK: Again, because it's a bit narrower, you'll get a little 115 00:06:25,232 --> 00:06:26,201 bit more of the waves. 116 00:06:26,544 --> 00:06:29,506 MARNIE WOODMEADE: As the waves peter out I spy a beautiful red 117 00:06:29,586 --> 00:06:31,027 cottage on the bank ahead. 118 00:06:31,568 --> 00:06:33,888 DEREK: Yeah, so this is Stoke Lock and this is the cottage 119 00:06:33,931 --> 00:06:35,232 where one of the lengthsmen would live. 120 00:06:35,810 --> 00:06:36,896 MARNIE WOODMEADE: What is a lengthsman? 121 00:06:37,552 --> 00:06:39,935 DEREK: So a lengthsman, is called that because they each 122 00:06:39,998 --> 00:06:44,623 look after a length of river. So we've got six along the 20 miles 123 00:06:44,982 --> 00:06:49,248 and they manage the vegetation as one of their main jobs and 124 00:06:49,279 --> 00:06:52,060 also controlling the level of the river using the weirs. 125 00:06:52,529 --> 00:06:54,732 MARNIE WOODMEADE: From here Derek turns the boat around and 126 00:06:54,748 --> 00:06:58,960 we start heading back upstream towards Daptune Wharf. I've got 127 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:01,700 plans to meet some of the lengthsmen later to find out 128 00:07:01,741 --> 00:07:04,382 more about the role they play in keeping the river flowing. 129 00:07:04,882 --> 00:07:07,339 And something I really love about canals and rivers 130 00:07:07,425 --> 00:07:11,604 generally is since they've become you know less industrial 131 00:07:11,979 --> 00:07:15,276 they have created all of this beautiful space for nature. 132 00:07:16,229 --> 00:07:19,698 DEREK: So one small area I look after is what we call the island 133 00:07:19,886 --> 00:07:24,026 on the wharf. So there's a nice flower meadow there and there 134 00:07:24,042 --> 00:07:27,941 are areas which... used to be overgrown with bramble. There's 135 00:07:27,982 --> 00:07:30,605 nothing wrong with bramble. It's a good source of nectar and 136 00:07:30,886 --> 00:07:34,289 berries and everything. But we cleared a lot of that. And over 137 00:07:34,290 --> 00:07:38,195 the years, the cowslips and bluebells, primroses, they've 138 00:07:38,234 --> 00:07:41,375 all spread. Small things that can make a big difference. 139 00:07:42,961 --> 00:07:46,086 MARNIE WOODMEADE: We are just coming back to Dapdune Wharf. So 140 00:07:46,226 --> 00:07:49,148 we've got another small person interested in waving at the 141 00:07:49,164 --> 00:07:51,570 boat. We've got a wide beam on our left. 142 00:07:51,882 --> 00:07:53,695 DEREK: The building straight ahead is where they used to 143 00:07:53,726 --> 00:07:57,262 store the gunpowder. The original stall was in the centre 144 00:07:57,281 --> 00:08:01,287 of town but as you can imagine the locals didn't like too much 145 00:08:01,365 --> 00:08:04,607 being next to a gunpowder store so they then moved out here. 146 00:08:06,334 --> 00:08:07,732 MARNIE WOODMEADE: And that's so interesting because we're now 147 00:08:07,811 --> 00:08:10,592 literally just drifting back into the wharf and it's so 148 00:08:10,857 --> 00:08:18,795 picturesque, it is completely gorgeous. And it's so peaceful 149 00:08:18,826 --> 00:08:19,639 as we come back in. 150 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:21,404 DEREK: Yeah just silence yeah. 151 00:08:23,488 --> 00:08:25,550 MARNIE WOODMEADE: Oh well Derek, thank you so much. This has been 152 00:08:25,970 --> 00:08:26,511 such a beautiful... 153 00:08:26,512 --> 00:08:28,513 DEREK: Okay yeah, I hope you've enjoyed it. The weather's been 154 00:08:28,572 --> 00:08:29,013 perfect. 155 00:08:29,255 --> 00:08:31,154 MARNIE WOODMEADE: But I think now probably we need to go find 156 00:08:31,197 --> 00:08:34,380 out a bit more about these lengthsmen and hear about how to 157 00:08:34,396 --> 00:08:35,958 control all of this water. 158 00:08:40,988 --> 00:08:45,254 I've just arrived at Unstead Lock. It's what you imagine when 159 00:08:45,255 --> 00:08:48,734 you think of a kind of fairy tale lock. It's manual, it's 160 00:08:48,836 --> 00:08:52,883 wooden, it's got these huge big black and white arms and if 161 00:08:52,922 --> 00:08:55,539 we're lucky we might just get to see one of the narrowboats pass 162 00:08:55,640 --> 00:09:00,187 through them. We're here to meet two of the lengthsmen on the 163 00:09:00,250 --> 00:09:00,844 River Wey. 164 00:09:02,750 --> 00:09:04,531 Whoa, and I think I can see them. 165 00:09:06,187 --> 00:09:10,229 There's a little flat punt coming towards us, mowing their 166 00:09:10,289 --> 00:09:14,033 way through the seed speckled river. Oh, it looks beautiful. 167 00:09:14,034 --> 00:09:16,775 EMMA: Hello, hello! 168 00:09:16,776 --> 00:09:18,498 MARNIE WOODMEADE: Hi, I'm Marnie. Nice to meet you. 169 00:09:18,537 --> 00:09:20,521 EMILY : Hiya, I'm Emily, the Catteshall Lengthsman. 170 00:09:21,396 --> 00:09:22,802 EMMA: I'm Emma, I'm the Lengthsman for the Walsham 171 00:09:22,865 --> 00:09:23,099 stretch. 172 00:09:24,224 --> 00:09:26,490 MARNIE WOODMEADE: I've noticed you've pulled up in this, what I 173 00:09:26,491 --> 00:09:29,787 would describe as a magnificent boat. What is this and what is 174 00:09:29,788 --> 00:09:30,271 it used for? 175 00:09:30,380 --> 00:09:33,412 EMMA: My noble steed. It's our work boat, it's a punt. So we 176 00:09:33,755 --> 00:09:37,021 use these for all sorts of different jobs on the river. 177 00:09:37,356 --> 00:09:40,159 Today I've loaded it with tools or stakes, bits of wood for 178 00:09:40,299 --> 00:09:42,921 doing the work for the day. So it just means we can access 179 00:09:42,964 --> 00:09:44,745 different areas that you obviously couldn't do from the 180 00:09:44,764 --> 00:09:45,503 towpath side. 181 00:09:45,964 --> 00:09:49,706 MARNIE WOODMEADE: I'm a boater and I go up and down canals and 182 00:09:49,729 --> 00:09:52,151 rivers quite often, but I've never heard of a lengthsman 183 00:09:52,190 --> 00:09:53,089 before. What's your job? 184 00:09:53,885 --> 00:09:56,089 EMILY : You might have heard of a ranger type role in the 185 00:09:56,090 --> 00:09:59,182 countryside. So it's sort of a river version of that really 186 00:09:59,245 --> 00:10:01,762 where we're making sure it's all good for the boaters as well as 187 00:10:01,763 --> 00:10:02,963 the towpath users. 188 00:10:03,344 --> 00:10:04,766 MARNIE WOODMEADE: We were talking earlier actually about 189 00:10:04,844 --> 00:10:08,352 the lengthsman versus lengthsperson. Do you have a 190 00:10:08,406 --> 00:10:09,109 preference? 191 00:10:09,508 --> 00:10:11,789 EMILY : Traditionally it would have been lengthsmen and I think 192 00:10:11,953 --> 00:10:14,773 times have changed. It would have been a more male orientated 193 00:10:14,852 --> 00:10:18,531 role. We're not quite 50% male female are we but we're not far 194 00:10:18,594 --> 00:10:21,359 off. So some people might say lengthsperson but I don't think 195 00:10:21,406 --> 00:10:23,109 anybody minds too much. 196 00:10:23,656 --> 00:10:25,609 MARNIE WOODMEADE: So Emily you've turned up in this punt 197 00:10:25,641 --> 00:10:28,672 with all of these tools. What have you just come from doing? 198 00:10:29,212 --> 00:10:31,435 EMILY : So I've been out with a group of lovely volunteers 199 00:10:31,515 --> 00:10:35,337 today. They come out with me every Wednesday and we have been 200 00:10:35,638 --> 00:10:38,341 repairing a dog hole. It's basically bank erosion from 201 00:10:38,622 --> 00:10:41,747 visiting dogs that go in and out of the river at the same point. 202 00:10:41,802 --> 00:10:45,146 So they do then tend to find the next spot to start working on. 203 00:10:45,615 --> 00:10:47,036 So it's a never-ending task. 204 00:10:47,818 --> 00:10:49,646 MARNIE WOODMEADE: And there's not just dog holes to repair. 205 00:10:50,474 --> 00:10:53,833 There's Floating Pennywort clogging the water, Himalayan 206 00:10:53,943 --> 00:10:57,443 Balsam weakening the banks and Ragwort, which is toxic to 207 00:10:57,474 --> 00:11:01,304 livestock. So the lengthsmen and volunteers are out here clearing 208 00:11:01,362 --> 00:11:04,745 weeds, cutting back branches and keeping the towpath open for 209 00:11:04,866 --> 00:11:05,347 everyone. 210 00:11:06,268 --> 00:11:09,612 You mentioned that it's about keeping this waterway usable for 211 00:11:09,667 --> 00:11:12,534 boats, but is it also about keeping it usable for nature? 212 00:11:12,917 --> 00:11:15,292 EMILY : We did actually just come across some nesting 213 00:11:15,354 --> 00:11:18,386 pheasants, we believe, so we swiftly moved away from that 214 00:11:18,464 --> 00:11:21,370 area just now. But yeah, it's one of those things we'll do a 215 00:11:21,371 --> 00:11:25,042 bit more cutback in the wintertime. I've got a family of 216 00:11:25,089 --> 00:11:27,744 ducklings at the moment, Mallards. They've been hanging 217 00:11:27,745 --> 00:11:30,665 around the same spot so it's quite nice seeing them most days 218 00:11:30,666 --> 00:11:32,844 at the moment as they get bigger and hopefully survive. 219 00:11:33,825 --> 00:11:35,469 MARNIE WOODMEADE: Always that thing when you see birds on the 220 00:11:35,485 --> 00:11:38,344 river of like you're like please let there be five ducklings 221 00:11:38,345 --> 00:11:38,649 tomorrow. 222 00:11:39,508 --> 00:11:41,587 EMILY : Yeah you count and you keep hoping that there's the 223 00:11:41,626 --> 00:11:46,227 same count every day yeah. So another really important part of 224 00:11:46,243 --> 00:11:48,774 our role is our water level management here of the 225 00:11:48,790 --> 00:11:53,430 navigation and Emma's been doing it a fair bit longer than I 226 00:11:53,446 --> 00:11:53,649 have. 227 00:11:54,524 --> 00:11:57,290 EMMA: I feel like we've actually had a luxurious April because 228 00:11:57,349 --> 00:12:01,294 most of us have more or less slept whereas quite often I have 229 00:12:01,595 --> 00:12:04,134 days and days on end where I'm potentially checking water 230 00:12:04,135 --> 00:12:07,360 levels day and night every hour and a half, two hours. It's like 231 00:12:07,376 --> 00:12:10,821 having a baby that never grows up. You're still tied into the 232 00:12:10,822 --> 00:12:13,024 schedule of the river and even though it's been dry your brain 233 00:12:13,025 --> 00:12:14,462 is still thinking, oh I need to check that. 234 00:12:15,149 --> 00:12:16,868 MARNIE WOODMEADE: How do you manage that water level if it is 235 00:12:17,055 --> 00:12:17,602 over, what do you do? 236 00:12:17,696 --> 00:12:20,212 EMMA: It's like pulling a plug out of the bath. So I've got a 237 00:12:20,227 --> 00:12:24,124 set of four everyday weirs and another three big floodgates. So 238 00:12:24,224 --> 00:12:26,507 if my level is too high, I will open one of my weir gates 239 00:12:26,546 --> 00:12:29,487 slightly and I will send some of that water down through the 240 00:12:29,488 --> 00:12:32,316 backwater to settle the level in the navigation and equally going 241 00:12:32,317 --> 00:12:35,034 in the other direction I might be closing in to raise the level 242 00:12:35,073 --> 00:12:35,198 up. 243 00:12:36,136 --> 00:12:38,316 MARNIE WOODMEADE: With only six lengthsmen managing the river, 244 00:12:38,620 --> 00:12:40,480 communication is everything. 245 00:12:41,136 --> 00:12:44,058 EMMA: Emily will usually be the first to start opening up and I 246 00:12:44,059 --> 00:12:47,667 know that, give or take, I'm about seven hours behind being 247 00:12:47,714 --> 00:12:50,495 further down the river so I've quite often phoned Emily in the 248 00:12:50,496 --> 00:12:52,417 middle of the night where we're trying to work out if we're 249 00:12:52,418 --> 00:12:53,386 going to get any sleep or not. 250 00:12:54,040 --> 00:12:56,562 MARNIE WOODMEADE: Technology has made things a little easier as 251 00:12:56,623 --> 00:12:59,265 cameras now watch key points along the Navigation. 252 00:12:59,847 --> 00:13:01,886 EMMA: So it has made a big difference in how we're able to 253 00:13:02,347 --> 00:13:06,230 keep an eye on things, but I'm afraid you do still just look 254 00:13:06,269 --> 00:13:06,816 out the window. 255 00:13:07,972 --> 00:13:09,918 MARNIE WOODMEADE: It's exhausting work, but as Emma 256 00:13:09,996 --> 00:13:12,636 says, unpredictability is part of the appeal. 257 00:13:13,621 --> 00:13:16,886 EMMA: It's junk food on the go, it's bad cereal, it's occasional 258 00:13:16,918 --> 00:13:20,805 naps and it's relentless. As terrifying as it is, that's also 259 00:13:20,885 --> 00:13:23,229 part of the joy. There are no two days the same here. And 260 00:13:23,367 --> 00:13:26,229 after 15 plus years, you still don't know when you get up in 261 00:13:26,230 --> 00:13:28,291 the morning what's going to happen during the day. And I 262 00:13:28,315 --> 00:13:29,736 think that's why people love it. 263 00:13:30,111 --> 00:13:32,760 EMILY : Yes, it's hard. But then I've been doing water level 264 00:13:32,838 --> 00:13:35,502 management, walking across one of the meadows and I've seen a 265 00:13:35,518 --> 00:13:38,096 barn owl, you know, sort of five o'clock in the morning. So 266 00:13:38,768 --> 00:13:42,127 there's all these little things that I just wouldn't be anywhere 267 00:13:42,190 --> 00:13:43,752 else other than out here. 268 00:13:44,330 --> 00:13:45,627 EMMA: Best office in the world by far. 269 00:13:46,018 --> 00:13:46,533 EMILY : Oh, definitely. 270 00:13:49,352 --> 00:13:51,355 MARNIE WOODMEADE: I've left Emily and Emma to their rounds 271 00:13:51,515 --> 00:13:55,720 and I am now back at Dapdune Wharf but beyond the trees I can 272 00:13:55,739 --> 00:13:59,642 hear the faint sounds of laughter and yoga. 273 00:14:00,126 --> 00:14:04,204 PERDITA: On the out-breath we're bringing our knees in, on the 274 00:14:04,243 --> 00:14:05,884 in-breath we're bringing our feet back down. 275 00:14:05,993 --> 00:14:07,946 MARNIE WOODMEADE: In the distance I can see a few people 276 00:14:08,212 --> 00:14:12,134 stretching, lying down on mats. What we're on here is the 277 00:14:12,368 --> 00:14:16,024 island. It feels a little bit magical. You've got buttercups 278 00:14:16,353 --> 00:14:18,785 littered throughout the floor. You can just see some 279 00:14:18,825 --> 00:14:22,427 forget-me-nots on the side, like with these little blue pops. 280 00:14:23,529 --> 00:14:27,134 PERDITA: On the in-breath, put your feet to the floor. On the 281 00:14:27,212 --> 00:14:28,697 out-breath, bring your arms back down. 282 00:14:30,033 --> 00:14:32,416 MARNIE WOODMEADE: Every week here at Dapdune Wharf, there's 283 00:14:32,439 --> 00:14:36,830 an outdoor yoga session run by Dose Of Nature. It's an 284 00:14:36,986 --> 00:14:40,111 NHS-backed project that helps people living with anxiety, 285 00:14:40,298 --> 00:14:44,830 depression, or other challenges to their well-being. The idea is 286 00:14:44,845 --> 00:14:50,013 simple. Use green spaces to slow down, breathe and reconnect. 287 00:14:51,173 --> 00:14:53,216 Among those taking part today is Stephen. 288 00:14:54,435 --> 00:14:59,380 STEPHEN : Relaxation. Peace of mind. It puts you in a good 289 00:14:59,419 --> 00:15:05,743 place for the day or the week. I suffer with social anxiety and I 290 00:15:05,767 --> 00:15:11,892 find nature and the yoga helps with my anxiety. It puts me in a 291 00:15:11,915 --> 00:15:12,392 better mood. 292 00:15:14,196 --> 00:15:18,290 But sometimes it's just nice to lay down with my eyes shut on 293 00:15:18,291 --> 00:15:21,415 the grass or against a tree. 294 00:15:23,149 --> 00:15:25,681 MARNIE WOODMEADE: For Stephen and many others, these sessions 295 00:15:25,743 --> 00:15:28,953 are more than just movement and breathing. They are a chance to 296 00:15:28,993 --> 00:15:32,196 step away from everyday pressures, lie beneath trees and 297 00:15:32,278 --> 00:15:35,540 feel part of something bigger than yourself. Leading the 298 00:15:35,559 --> 00:15:40,005 session today is Perdita, not just a yoga instructor, but also 299 00:15:40,161 --> 00:15:42,426 one of Dose Of Nature's trained nature guides. 300 00:15:43,708 --> 00:15:47,614 PERDITA: It's wonderful. I mean, the daisies, the buttercups, the 301 00:15:47,676 --> 00:15:50,833 wind, the birds, the chiff-chaff, the children on the 302 00:15:51,598 --> 00:15:57,562 River Wey, and people who seem to... want to share and enjoy it 303 00:15:57,601 --> 00:15:59,163 with me so that's pretty good for me. 304 00:16:00,806 --> 00:16:03,486 MARNIE WOODMEADE: Throughout the class people were laughing and 305 00:16:03,689 --> 00:16:06,533 seemed really relaxed so how did you create this space? 306 00:16:08,392 --> 00:16:11,618 PERDITA: I think nature has got a lot to answer for in that when 307 00:16:11,658 --> 00:16:15,236 we're on an island and this place holds you and what's very 308 00:16:15,361 --> 00:16:18,564 heartening and moving is that some of these people have been 309 00:16:18,595 --> 00:16:23,251 doing yoga right the way through the year and it's pretty cold in 310 00:16:23,252 --> 00:16:23,767 the winter. 311 00:16:24,204 --> 00:16:27,124 MARNIE WOODMEADE: Dose Of Nature isn't just about yoga. It's part 312 00:16:27,145 --> 00:16:30,847 of a wider eight-week programme where patients are referred by 313 00:16:30,886 --> 00:16:33,866 their doctor and paired with a trained nature guide. 314 00:16:34,210 --> 00:16:38,171 PERDITA: Dose Of Nature is a wonderfully simple concept but 315 00:16:38,351 --> 00:16:43,124 the impact is huge and it's a frame of mind which is that 316 00:16:43,202 --> 00:16:44,030 nature can heal. 317 00:16:44,608 --> 00:16:47,093 MARNIE WOODMEADE: And it isn't just a feeling, there's science 318 00:16:47,124 --> 00:16:50,843 behind it too. Why time in nature changes how we think and 319 00:16:50,874 --> 00:16:51,437 how we feel. 320 00:16:51,827 --> 00:16:56,011 PERDITA: It's not just you know woo woo, it's about fractals and 321 00:16:56,030 --> 00:17:01,214 the soil chemicals and the tree chemicals and the awe and the 322 00:17:01,335 --> 00:17:04,937 sound. But it's just giving that exposure and sitting with them 323 00:17:05,718 --> 00:17:08,304 and opening their senses to it again. 324 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:10,718 MARNIE WOODMEADE: And the results speak for themselves. 325 00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:17,468 PERDITA: I understand that the impact is always almost 99% very 326 00:17:17,577 --> 00:17:21,390 positive. There is change and that's really gratifying. 327 00:17:22,216 --> 00:17:25,900 Because all we're doing is reintroducing them to something 328 00:17:25,959 --> 00:17:27,701 which is all around us. 329 00:17:31,486 --> 00:17:33,627 MARNIE WOODMEADE: As I leave the island behind, the sounds of 330 00:17:33,650 --> 00:17:36,908 laughter and yoga drift away through the trees. And I'm 331 00:17:36,971 --> 00:17:41,619 struck by how many ways this river connects us. From spotting 332 00:17:41,650 --> 00:17:45,041 dragonflies and baby ducklings from the electric boat, to 333 00:17:45,103 --> 00:17:47,900 hearing how the lengthsmen gently manage and care for the 334 00:17:47,916 --> 00:17:53,059 water day and night. To finding unexpected stillness here, under 335 00:17:53,060 --> 00:17:54,182 the shade of the trees. 336 00:17:56,342 --> 00:17:59,869 The River Wey has been serving its communities for almost 400 337 00:17:59,947 --> 00:18:04,807 years and it's still doing just that, a blue-green ecosystem 338 00:18:04,947 --> 00:18:08,697 alive with nature, history and the people who care for it. 339 00:18:23,192 --> 00:18:24,833 ROSIE HOLDSWORTH: Thanks for listening to this episode of 340 00:18:24,854 --> 00:18:28,296 Wild Tales. If you liked it, why not give us a like or follow? 341 00:18:28,976 --> 00:18:31,859 We'll be back soon with another episode in a couple of weeks. 342 00:18:31,999 --> 00:18:34,624 But if you can't wait that long, why not check out our other 343 00:18:34,663 --> 00:18:38,265 nature podcast, Nature Fix. Or if you like your history too, 344 00:18:38,390 --> 00:18:40,851 there's Back When. See you next time.