‪@DavidCobham‬

Vanishing Hedgerows
Narrated by Henry Williamson, author of "Tarka the Otter," the film focuses on the near extinction of the common partridge to trace 50 years of agricultural change and current threats to the countryside.
The programme is largely filmed on Church Farm, Stiffkey, where Henry Williamson began farming in the mid 1930s. There are numerous short sequences of the whole range of farming activities as they would have been carried out in the 1930s before the tractor was in widespread use. There are views of Stiffkey village, the church and the marshes. Birdlife such as mallards, waders, snipes, plovers, marsh harriers, lapwing bitterns and herons feature. Traditional Norfolk four course rotation farming is explained and illustrated. The film covers the topic of mechanisation. More wildlife is featured: sedge warbler, bearded tit, chaffinch, red poll, blue tit, goldfinch, wren, house martins, blackbird, greenfinch, long tailed tit, a robin with a cuckoo chick and a partridge on a nest. In the section on water pollution there are otters, kingfisher and a kestrel nest and chicks. Williamson discusses the advantages of traditional methods and laments the dwindling wildlife. There are scenes of men badgering, and shots of a peregrine falcon, herons, a barn owl and a little owl. Williamson reads from his writings and makes a plea for a balanced and viable system of farming.
First broadcast: 20th August 1972
Directed by David Cobham

[@myriammadigan9966]

What a beautiful film

[@applecounty]

I hope this YT Account is archived so that it can be watched by those who remember this programme when it was first broadcast, and by later generations. Rest In Peace.
David Cobham b:1930 d:2018

[@paulcunnane4]

Absolutely amazing and beautiful.

[@thornwarbler]

Delightful ....................Thanks

[@bigjohntightlips]

Thank you for sharing this with us David it brought back great memories of when our countryside was a great place to be. you have a great new year my friend , john

[@marytodd7985]

Thank you for this. Cheers!

[@doctordolittle3652]

"It is very rare you see a Gamekeeper's gibbet nowadays!" Enjoyed watching the program plus the Grouse shooting.

[@chrisellis1089]

I was watching a clip of Chris Packham . .and now I'm here . .and I think even an old stalwart like Jack Hargreaves would think that these money grabbing farmers were being really short sighted and destructive . .this programme is still important even though there has been progress in later years about the importance of conservation . .thank you for sharing this archive film with us all

[@nonyadamnbusiness9887]

Yeah, all those money grabbing framers who all went bankrupt because they couldn't make enough money.

[@eastanglian3778]

@@nonyadamnbusiness9887 yeah, because they bled the land dry rather than made sure it was viable long term. I live on a farm.

[@RexGreene]

7:01 who knew a writer could wax poetic about the Norfolk four course?

[@trainrover]

I forgot what novel it'd been, yet quite a long wretched chapter revolved about the advent of the kingdom's/s' _Inclosure Acts_ over there..a forgotten major transition.

[@Oldgittom]

This must be 'the' Henry Williamson (Tarka the Otter, etc.).

[@danielhooper502]

this someone try to assassinate the tractor driver at the start? lmao

[@loisstenner123]

Horrible watching 2 men and 2 JR terriers about to murder one of the last few remaining mammals we havent made extinct. FUCKING HORRIBLE