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00:00Welcome to the jaw-dropping landscape of Eredi, Snowdonia.
00:09Set in this breathtaking valley, there's a vacant 600-acre farm,
00:13and the National Trust are on the hunt for a brand-new tenant.
00:18What an incredible place to live and work.
00:22With a four-bedroom farmhouse at its heart,
00:25the successful applicant will take care of this unique hill farm
00:28in the National Park for the next 15 years.
00:32A farm like this is so hard to come by,
00:35and for someone, it's going to be life-changing.
00:41Only a small group of hopefuls have been shortlisted.
00:44Hold on. Here you go.
00:46Now they'll let them work here for three weeks
00:48on the very land that they dream of taking on.
00:51I can only imagine how our applicants must be feeling,
00:54coming here to try and get their hands on this farm.
00:57This could be ours, if we're lucky enough.
01:00Whilst here, they'll be assessed on their abilities with livestock.
01:04Good girl.
01:06Sound as a workhorse around sheep.
01:09Their skills in caring for nature and this land.
01:12These are very precious,
01:14some trees that will feed the birds for hundreds of years.
01:17Whilst showing they could run a successful business.
01:20No good in the mouth.
01:22Making the most of the farming and recreation opportunities.
01:26All day long, I can do this.
01:28In this adventure paradise.
01:32Choosing the new tenant is Giles Hunt,
01:35the Land and Estates Director for all of the National Trust.
01:38This is a highly competitive process,
01:41and anybody who wants this farm is going to have to be on their best game.
01:45And Eriri General Manager, Tristan Edwards.
01:48We want to work in partnership with these people for a long time,
01:51hopefully a generation and more.
01:53Could do better is the term.
01:55Throughout the process, they'll be whittling down the hopefuls.
01:59That was a bit of a moment.
02:01How suitable are they going to be?
02:04I've never cried about anything.
02:06I thought it was going to be the last time we saw that view.
02:09For one of our applicants, their dream farm is going to become a reality.
02:19Before our applicants arrive for this three-week selection process...
02:24Oh-ho-ho-ho!
02:26Oh, my word!
02:28..I'm taking the opportunity to explore the farm.
02:35I've just caught a glimpse through those branches.
02:39Oh-ho-ho! Look at that!
02:42The farm on offer comprises of lowland fields,
02:46woodland and mountain pasture
02:48in the foothills of Wales's highest mountain,
02:51Ewythfa, Snowdon.
02:53There can't be many farms with more picturesque sheep pens than this one.
02:57I mean...
02:59..that is just incredible.
03:02And access to that lake comes as part of the tenancy.
03:06There it is, the farmhouse.
03:09Somebody is going to acquire this tenancy in the next few weeks
03:13and they're going to live here.
03:15I'm just thinking now, waking up and looking out of that bedroom window...
03:21..just open the curtains, ready for work.
03:26For the lucky applicant, this beautifully refurbished farmhouse
03:29will be their new home.
03:31Boston four bedrooms, a large sitting room and dining room
03:35with views down the valley.
03:38Connected to the farmhouse is a two-bedroom annex,
03:41perfect for them to welcome tourists,
03:44along with bothies for more adventurous guests.
03:49You are just surrounded by nature.
03:52It's so calm.
03:55And this place is special for another reason,
03:58as it's the National Trust's most nature-rich farm in Wales.
04:03There's a mix of modern and traditional buildings,
04:06ripe for diversification.
04:08My mind is just bursting with ideas of what I would do if I had this place.
04:13This farm is ready and waiting for the seven shortlisted applicants
04:17to come and take part in tasks designed so they can prove
04:20that they have what it takes to be chosen as its new tenant.
04:25The applicant who impresses most in each task
04:28will become temporary farm manager,
04:30staying in the farmhouse and taking responsibility for the livestock.
04:34The farm comes with its own flock of sheep.
04:37They're a mountain breed and they graze high up on the tops.
04:42We've actually brought a lowland breed of sheep here as well
04:45and they're all lambing at the moment.
04:48It's a busy time.
04:49They are landing into a hive of activity, these applicants.
04:52As soon as they get here, crack on.
04:56The first potential new tenants to arrive for this unique selection process
05:00are young farmer Lloyd and marine biologist Abby.
05:04This could be our barn.
05:06This could be our barn.
05:09Farming's in my blood, it's in my roots.
05:12I'm going to be a farmer.
05:14I'm going to be a farmer.
05:16I'm going to be a farmer.
05:18I'm going to be a farmer.
05:20I'm going to be a farmer.
05:23Farming's in my blood, it's in my roots.
05:25I've grown up with beef cattle and sheep and pigs.
05:30I've got my own herd of pedigree Hereford cattle
05:33and my brother and I are breeders of pedigree Texel and Suffolk sheep.
05:39I grew up going to my uncle's and he lived next door to the farm
05:43and the farmer would bring us a little lamb that was being bottle fed
05:47and I would get to play with the lamb.
05:50And then when I met Lloyd I was suddenly the farm hand, wasn't I?
05:54Yes, free labour.
05:55Yes.
05:59We've dreamed of being on our own farm.
06:02One day it won't be a dream.
06:04It'd be really nice, you know, coming here in the winter to lamb the sheep.
06:08Could you see yourself here?
06:09I could.
06:10Could you see yourself here?
06:11Yeah, definitely.
06:12I'd love it.
06:15There's a big bale of sheep here.
06:18There's a tractor there.
06:20The next couple hoping to take on the tenancy
06:23are local hill farmers Ryan and Laurie.
06:27My passion is hill farming.
06:29It's something pretty magical.
06:31You sit on a rock and you think,
06:33I wonder who else has done this over the last 200 years
06:36and the dogs enjoy it.
06:38If the rain's been howling in the evening
06:41the sheep tend to come down to the gate.
06:45When we met, he started off with two sheep.
06:48Now it's turned into hundreds.
06:51I don't see it as a job, it's a way of life.
06:54I'm very proud to be a farmer.
06:56And I'm proud to be a farmer's wife.
06:58Lovely to meet you.
07:00What do you think of the place?
07:01It's lovely, isn't it?
07:03It's something beautiful, isn't it, down over the lake?
07:06You can see yourself handling stock here, can't you?
07:09Oh, gosh, yeah.
07:11Our third applicant is George from Essex.
07:16Hello there, I'm George, nice to meet you.
07:18Do you keep stock, George?
07:20I'm a builder.
07:21You're a builder?
07:23What makes you want to get into farming?
07:26I've got two little kids.
07:28It's just like now or never.
07:30George, as well as being a builder, is also a keen runner
07:34and his wife Laura, who's staying at home to look after their children,
07:37are hoping that his drive and focus will help him secure the 15-year tenancy.
07:43You're competitive.
07:44I'm very competitive.
07:46Running, I'm competitive. It's a race.
07:49And if you're not the winner, you're very hitty-bit.
07:52I'm very hitty-bit.
07:54You're very hitty-bit.
07:56Pick it, Daddy!
07:58Despite not having much farming experience,
08:00they're hoping this will be a new chapter for their family's future.
08:05It means so much because it's raising the children in the countryside,
08:08surrounded by the livestock.
08:10Although we're not farmers, we're trying so hard to be farmers.
08:13This is our dream. This is what we want to do.
08:16This is where we want to live.
08:22Look at that, though, as you come up.
08:24How cool would that be?
08:26There's a farm in front.
08:28The next potential tenants are 18-year-old young farmer Will
08:32and his mum, Emma, who's joining him for the selection process.
08:37Hi!
08:39I'm his mum.
08:41Farming background. First generation, he is.
08:44Personally, I don't think my age comes into a factor.
08:47I feel like I just have more years to run the farm.
08:51The main flock that I keep is a pedigree flock of herdwits,
08:56and I breed Saddleback cross-to-rock pigs on rented land in a residential area.
09:04There's not much space down here for first-generation farmers, unfortunately,
09:08but I think everyone deserves a fair chance within the industry.
09:12The sheep don't cause me any hassle at the moment.
09:14Unless you want to catch them.
09:16Unless I want to catch them, yeah.
09:21Livestock and poultry farmer Greg, from the north-west of England,
09:25has also been shortlisted, and he hopes to move his business to the farm.
09:30Right now, I have 740-ish chickens.
09:36My wife, Abigail, says, you know, if I can see people out or whatever,
09:40she's like, don't chicken-talk them, because people are just like, oh, yeah, yeah.
09:44Too deep with chickens.
09:46Where are you from, Greg?
09:48South Cheshire.
09:49Very different, very flatland there compared to these mountains.
09:52Do you farm stock or arable?
09:54Cattle, sheep, pigs, and a hell of a lot of chickens.
09:58Oh, that's it?
09:59Yeah, at home they call me Greg the Egg.
10:01Greg the Egg.
10:10Hoping to make this their first home together,
10:13Sara and Ion both come from Welsh farming backgrounds.
10:17I'm living with my family on our family farm,
10:20and it's getting about time to get myself moved out now.
10:26I live on a beef and sheep farm with my parents.
10:29Farming, that's where my passion is, really.
10:32That's always been my dream, to have a family farm and get a farm for ourselves,
10:37and hopefully to, yeah, have a family there one day, maybe.
10:43Together, you know?
10:45Completing the group of potential tenants,
10:48its luxury travel agent turned farmer, Liberty, from Gloucestershire.
10:55I've got practical experience, but I don't have decades of it.
11:00My friends and family, I think, would think I'm completely mad.
11:05You know, I can spend afternoons harvesting cabbages
11:08and then also be on the phone to demanding clients in Italy.
11:12The farm represents an opportunity to put into practice
11:16the things that I've spent the last few years learning.
11:19Trying to create a closed system
11:21where you don't have to buy in lots of chemicals and fertiliser.
11:25You can use what you have on the farm.
11:27Hello!
11:29All the applicants have gathered in the barn
11:31to meet the people who will decide
11:33which of them will be given this life-changing tenancy.
11:37Hiya, guys!
11:40Hiya, guys! How are you doing?
11:42It's good to see you all!
11:44Welcome, everybody, to the place that you hope to call home
11:48for the next 15 years.
11:50You've done incredibly well, honestly, to get this far.
11:53Now all you have to do is impress these two.
11:57Giles, Land and Estates Director for the whole of the National Trust,
12:01and we've got Tristan here, who is the General Manager of the whole area.
12:05Tristan, it's a very exciting time for you
12:07to be welcoming a new farmer to this area.
12:10It is, Matt, a warm welcome to here, to Eryri, Snowdonia.
12:15It is an amazing farm,
12:17and we're looking forward to working with you for the next three weeks.
12:21And every single one of you,
12:23you've got a very realistic chance of getting this farm.
12:26You wouldn't be here if you didn't.
12:28We've spent a lot of time going over your business plans,
12:31and we want to see you deliver those plans here.
12:34It's one thing to sit round a kitchen table.
12:37It's another thing to see how those plans
12:39are actually going to be delivered on this farm.
12:42You've all got your own vision. You all know what you want to do.
12:45And those of you that impress in the coming days and in the coming weeks,
12:48you're going to have the opportunity to stay in that farmhouse.
12:52We will expect you to be taking charge of the farm when you're staying over.
12:56That means looking after the land and, critically, the livestock as well.
13:00And the work is going to start straight away.
13:03The farm comes with a flock of sheep,
13:05a mountain breed who, at the moment, are grazing on the tops.
13:09And we're going to need you to bring them down.
13:12And the gather, or helva, is an important part.
13:16And it's not just a job, it's an event.
13:18It needs for you to all work together.
13:20Otherwise, it's going to be chaos and they're going to run rings around you.
13:24Get yourselves set. Get what you need.
13:27Somebody has to take on this tenancy,
13:30and one of you is going to do it.
13:32Give it everything, and hopefully this will be home.
13:37For the gather, or helva,
13:39the applicants must round up over 130 Welsh mountain sheep
13:43that come with the tenancy across the farm's mountain pasture.
13:48The gather is an event.
13:50We want to split the sheep up,
13:52we want them to come down to the right location,
13:54and also to understand that they'll be hiding places.
13:59It's going to be so important that it doesn't just end up
14:02as an utterly chaotic version of people running round a mountain after sheep.
14:08This is something that I live for.
14:11Something that he does on the daily, isn't it?
14:13Like, throughout the summer.
14:15It's part of the history of this place.
14:17We all help each other with gathering.
14:19You've got to think like a sheep.
14:21If they're cleverer, then what they make out of it.
14:23We've done the helva before at home.
14:26It's a very traditional way of gathering the sheep down the mountain.
14:29It can be quite tricky.
14:31It's easier if you know the area or know the hill.
14:34This will be a new one. It could be challenging.
14:38I think I could probably outrun everyone in this group.
14:40I don't know if I can outrun the sheep.
14:42I'm nervous. Yeah, I'm nervous.
14:45I'm kind of ready to go now.
14:47I'll look after Mum if she's nervous.
14:49Aw!
14:53And so we should.
14:57MUSIC FADES
15:03Seven hopeful applicants are taking part in a unique selection process...
15:08Home sweet home, everyone!
15:11..to secure a 15-year tenancy of this 600-acre farm in North Wales.
15:17What a place to live, eh? Come on over.
15:20The applicants have been tasked with gathering over 130 Welsh mountain sheep
15:25from the farm's rugged landscape.
15:28Whoever impresses Giles and Tristan the most will stay in the farmhouse overnight,
15:33taking on responsibility for the farm.
15:36So, Tristan, we're talking about Welsh mountain sheep here,
15:39so a very, very hardy breed.
15:41They've been genetically developed over the centuries
15:43by hill farmers in places like this.
15:45They can deal with really tough conditions.
15:48Over the next few days, we're going to be working with them to check them,
15:51and also we need to actually separate them.
15:54We're looking for somebody to take control.
15:56And for those of you who've got experience, we'd be expecting you to step up.
15:59For those of you who haven't got experience,
16:01probably this is a time for ears open and mouth shut.
16:04But the first thing is, let's get them all down.
16:06And we mean all of them.
16:08They'll do their best not to be gathered.
16:10They'll happily hide behind walls into little crevices
16:13and watch you merrily walk by.
16:16If we can gather round, I'll share with you the lie of the land.
16:20For a successful gather, the potential tenants need to collect all of the sheep.
16:24They'll work their way through the low-lying wetland area
16:27before heading up onto the mountain pasture,
16:30gathering them all together into one flock
16:33and then bring them down through the valley
16:35and into the enclosure in front of the farmhouse.
16:40As the gather always takes place with the help of sheepdogs,
16:43Ryan's brought his dog, Kelt.
16:46Kelt, what a strong boy.
16:47He's a good dog.
16:48He's trying to get in through the front door, look.
16:50And Sarah's got Becca.
16:54Oh, hello, sweetheart.
16:56Looks like she's ready to go.
16:58Well, go for it, guys, and let's see how you cope with this.
17:00Good luck.
17:02Now, realistically, how long do you expect this to take them?
17:05If it goes well, everything should be back here maybe in 45 minutes.
17:09If they start running circles around them,
17:11we'll be two hours before we see the next cup of tea.
17:15OK.
17:17Keep looking for them fluffy things with four legs.
17:20If it's white and fluffy, it's coming downhill.
17:22When I first heard the word helva, the gathering,
17:25I was a bit panicked because never done it before on a mountain.
17:30Hopefully we don't fall over too much. Yeah.
17:34And it's not long before builder George
17:36spots the first Welsh mountain sheep
17:38grazing deep in the low-lying wetlands.
17:42Here we go.
17:43Here we go.
17:45What a fluffy thing.
17:49To flush them out, Ryan sends in Celt.
17:54These sheep in this first part of it are going to be the problem sheep.
17:57They don't like to go through heavy vegetation like this.
18:00I don't think the sheepdog will be able to do it.
18:07The sheep have actually gone a bit stuck.
18:09They just stood their ground against the sheepdog.
18:13They're a bit of a face-off happening.
18:15Are you sure you mean lower the hedge line?
18:17Yeah. Yeah?
18:18Ryan's decided to push the sheep through this
18:22to try and recover the situation.
18:27With the terrain proving difficult,
18:29it's going to require a more hands-on approach from the applicants.
18:32Keen to learn as much as he can,
18:34builder George joins a few of the more experienced shepherds
18:37to help free the sheep.
18:39We can spot George.
18:42George is jumping.
18:44Fair play to him.
18:45Yeah.
18:46I get carried away very quickly and feel really excited.
18:50I can't wait to get stuck in, really.
18:54Oh, dear, he's down.
18:55And we've lost George.
18:57Why did I come in the brown bulls?
18:59I mean, the grass is so long, you can't even see the sheep.
19:03It's all part, though, Tristan, isn't it, of getting to know the land.
19:06Yes, indeed. This isn't out of New Orderly or the farm.
19:11That's exactly why we want them to try it.
19:14Whilst experienced hill farmer Ryan
19:16takes charge of gathering the sheep from the wetlands,
19:19the rest of the applicants are herding stragglers
19:22at the base of the mountain.
19:24Laurie's leading the way, actually, there.
19:26She's going to turn them up into the freeth.
19:28So the freeth, then, is the top section?
19:30Yes, laden with bracken, the odd trees.
19:33Oh, gosh, Ryan's got one on his shoulder.
19:37Ryan's really showing me that he understands this kind of pasture.
19:41She's flogged, or, you know, she's just given up, gone to dead weight.
19:45That's what you've got to do, really, and it's hard work.
19:48Nothing, really, they could have done about it,
19:50and I think they dealt with it really well.
19:53Atta boy!
19:55As you've seen, people took their own initiative to step back,
19:58and just all watched where the sheep were going, so...
20:01Yeah, very good team.
20:03WHISTLE BLOWS
20:05One, two, three, four, five...
20:07Well done! Well done!
20:11With the wetland clear,
20:13the applicants must now drive these sheep towards the summit,
20:16whilst finding and flushing out the remaining 120.
20:20If they lose any, they'll have to start gathering all over again.
20:25The sheep that we've just sent through here know something's up,
20:28so they've scarpered now, they've told their mates to watch out.
20:32This is young farmers Abi and Lloyd's first mountain gather.
20:36Do you want us to go up on the high?
20:39Because we've got the dog ready now.
20:41But as Lloyd has plenty of experience handling livestock,
20:44he's forming a plan for the next stage.
20:47We're going to go and flush through here now,
20:49and follow you up to the top.
20:51Lloyd's an organiser, isn't he?
20:53Making sure everybody knows what they're doing.
20:58Bracken's going to be our problem in a minute.
21:00We're going to have to walk through it all, aren't we? Yeah.
21:08Will and his mum Emma are getting to grips with the mountain
21:12and the tough terrain that could become their home.
21:15Oh, my gosh, it is vast.
21:18I think that is the word.
21:20I mean, looking around here, it's just huge.
21:23William's doing all the hard work up there with the others, bless him,
21:26but then he wants to be the farmer.
21:28I'll just poke it and tell it to get over it.
21:30Look at them down there.
21:32I mean, it just goes to show how challenging this landscape is.
21:36Half the flock are down there, half the flock are over there.
21:39The thing is as well, this is non-negotiable.
21:42This is life here.
21:44This is hill farming, and this is the reality.
21:47The chosen applicant is going to have to do this.
21:51Well, it's pretty critical, isn't it, really?
21:54We need to maintain a Welsh mountain flock on this holding.
21:57They play a valuable role in this landscape.
22:00They graze closely on these areas, allowing the flowers to come through,
22:04maintaining these habitats.
22:06That's it!
22:08WHISTLE BLOWS
22:10Come on, come on!
22:12I'll go sweep there.
22:14If you can hold this line, that's OK.
22:17Lloyd, they're coming up on the path.
22:19I see them, yeah.
22:23Was fitness on the particulars?
22:25THEY LAUGH
22:27This is a good technique they've got, working in a line,
22:30just driving, pushing the sheep.
22:32The ones that are less experienced, they've got none.
22:35There's nobody straggling behind.
22:37As they've gathered sheep like this before,
22:39Ion and Sara are demonstrating how comfortable they are
22:42on this farm's high ground with their sheepdog, Becca.
22:45Ioan has come through one of the nooks and crannies,
22:48and that's really important,
22:50that you've got people covering those little hiding areas that you cannot see.
22:54What's your plan?
22:56I'm going to try and send him down there now.
22:58Send Becca around him.
23:00WHISTLE BLOWS
23:04Brilliant.
23:06That sheepdog flushed out some sheep in the trees there.
23:09I love watching a sheepdog work. I just love it.
23:12WHISTLE BLOWS
23:14Becca, girl!
23:16Becca had a trial yesterday, actually.
23:18Yeah, so she's quite good.
23:20I'd say a dog would be essential, probably,
23:22to gather rough terrain like this.
23:24It's not possible to take a quad bike,
23:26so definitely a dog is essential.
23:28WHISTLE BLOWS
23:30Having reached the summit, the applicants have now started
23:33to push all of the collected sheep down through the valley
23:36and back towards the farmhouse,
23:38where they'll find out what Giles and Tristan made of their shepherding.
23:43On you go.
23:45Liberty, who's applying for the farm tenancy on her own,
23:48is doing her bit to direct the flock down the hillside.
23:53I've worked quite a lot with some of the Scottish Highland sheep,
23:56which are a law unto themselves,
23:59and it's important not to get too intimidated
24:02by people who have been farming forever.
24:04Oh, that's right. We'll stay together, yeah?
24:07WHISTLE BLOWS
24:09Come on, come on.
24:11Come on.
24:13Come on, come on.
24:15Come on, come on.
24:17I've got about 60 to 70 secure at the bottom already.
24:23With the gather almost complete, poultry farmer Greg
24:26is making sure that none of the sheep head back up the mountain.
24:30Ooh, we're getting there.
24:33It's just cos it's so rocky and hilly.
24:35Probably got three-quarters of the sheep already in.
24:38There's just a couple more on the highland there.
24:41They're now getting towards the farmhouse.
24:43I think now's a good time for this to go round back
24:46and see how they've got on, yeah? OK.
24:48Last off the mountain is husband and wife, Ryan and Laurie,
24:52and their dog, Celt.
24:54I was further back just to make sure all the sheep didn't come back.
24:58He just came back to make sure that I was OK.
25:00I want to go to my better half,
25:02because she's the brains of the operation.
25:04I'd sort of call her a bit of soul mate,
25:07but I don't know if that's too cheesy.
25:09WHISTLE BLOWS
25:13Come on, come on.
25:16CHOIR SINGS
25:18Well done.
25:20Well done, Greg.
25:22Thy own liberty. Well done.
25:24Yes!
25:28That was impressive.
25:30I was a make-believe sheepdog.
25:32We had a little conversation
25:34about how long we thought that was going to take you.
25:36You were expecting... 45 minutes.
25:39It was 42 minutes.
25:41So you did it faster than Tristan thought you would do.
25:44That must have given you a proper feeling
25:47of what life would be like if you lived here.
25:50I'll be honest, George, you were a lot cleaner than I thought you would be.
25:53The sheep went down to that wedland
25:55and you did really well to bring them back,
25:58and we saw you working together so brilliantly,
26:00so, honestly, you're really well done.
26:02But, Ryan, I turned around and you had one of the girls there
26:05up on your shoulders.
26:07Like a hat. I didn't want the rain to go on me, but no.
26:10What we want to do now is take them through into the next field
26:13and hold them overnight so we can start working on them tomorrow.
26:16George, do you want to walk them up a bit more?
26:19It was amazing. I didn't even know what a gather was.
26:22We were lining them up in the front garden,
26:24and you see the house and you think,
26:26this is going to be home.
26:28And it will be, tonight,
26:30for whoever has impressed Giles and Tristan the most.
26:33I like the farmhouse because I'm really wet,
26:35so it was nice to get warm and put a fire on.
26:39It's so difficult when you don't know the lay of the land,
26:42but, you know, it's just amazing to be here
26:44and be up on the hill and outside
26:46and kind of, you know, stomping around the place.
26:49Let's say we were all working well together, weren't we?
26:51Yeah.
26:52Becca handled it well, I thought,
26:54as she was so unfamiliar with the terrain,
26:56she handled them perfectly.
26:58We knew it was community-based,
27:00but this really drilled it home to us
27:02that it's so important to have that community around you.
27:05It's because we're all here for farming,
27:07we're all here for the same thing.
27:09Ryan was really impressive in the bog.
27:11He was able to walk through it and have a sheep on his shoulder,
27:13which was...
27:14That was, like, superhuman, wasn't it?
27:16Yeah, I know. It wasn't normal.
27:24Seven shortlisted applicants have come to North Wales
27:27to prove that they have what it takes
27:29to run this 600-acre farm for the next 15 years.
27:34They've successfully gathered the farm's flock
27:36of Welsh mountain sheep from the high ground,
27:39and are keen to find out what Giles and Tristan, the landlords,
27:42made of their efforts,
27:44and who they'll choose to stay in the farmhouse tonight
27:47and become temporary farm manager.
27:51It's no mean feat, managing a place like this.
27:54It comes with real challenges, as they've all experienced.
27:57After a difficult start, they brought it together,
28:00they worked together, which was a real key part of today's task.
28:03But were you impressed?
28:05I was impressed today.
28:07It's a task that they will have to do year after year on this farm,
28:10and for them to see, is that for them?
28:13Is that what they really want to do?
28:15And for us to see, are they good at it?
28:17Well, you've got quite a job to do.
28:19You've got a key in your pocket,
28:21and you've got to decide who is going to be staying in that farmhouse.
28:24Yes, well, Giles and I have deliberated,
28:26and we need somebody to look after this flock
28:28whilst it's here down in the lowlands, ready for tomorrow.
28:31Some responsibility.
28:33The potential tenants have made a good first impression.
28:38Well done, everybody, on a fantastic first day.
28:41Lloyd, you were looking out for everybody up there.
28:44Didn't try to take the lead, but the best supporting act.
28:49Geeing everybody up a little bit. We're on this, guys.
28:52It's really impressive, nobody was left behind.
28:54Greg is next.
28:56These Welsh mountains here, they're very different to the suffix Greg normally runs.
29:00I assume that Greg was used to this,
29:02the way he was flushing out of the trees earlier.
29:05And Giles, Ryan and Lloyd looked very at home up there.
29:08You know, it didn't go to plan to start with,
29:10sheep going, getting a bit bogged down,
29:12and you reacted to that really well,
29:14and then got the task back on track.
29:17Liberty.
29:18It might not have been the thing that you would have done on a daily basis,
29:21but you were in the line, coming down, getting that flush through.
29:25Giles, I think it's wonderful that we've got a mother and son combo here
29:29in Will and Emma.
29:30Yeah, Will, you took the higher ground,
29:32and Emma, this task is not going to be for everybody,
29:35and that's why we have a whole range of tasks
29:37that gives everybody an opportunity to shine in the areas that they're best at.
29:41George, leaping through the bog.
29:44Yeah, sometimes disappearing, and then miraculously appearing again.
29:48But there's no way you were going to be left behind.
29:51Wish it went on three times as long.
29:53It can be arranged.
29:55Jorn and Sarah, they look very, very at home up there.
29:58Definitely, and it's lovely to see you working the dog
30:01and helping to lead other people through this
30:03who weren't anywhere near as familiar as you both are.
30:07Now Giles and Tristan need to pick
30:09who will be the first to experience living on this dream farm.
30:14Tristan, who's going to be staying in the farmhouse
30:17and looking after this place for the next 24 hours?
30:20We're going to hand this over to somebody that went slightly over and above today.
30:24Ryan and Lowry, we're going to ask you to not only stay in the farmhouse
30:28but look after the sheep here as well.
30:30Well done. Thank you very much.
30:33And if nothing else, Ryan, you are the one who's most in need of a shower.
30:38Right, everyone round for a cup of tea, one?
30:40Who's washed my socks?
30:47First thing we'll be doing tonight is probably a nice hot bath,
30:50a nice roaring fire.
30:52The rest of the applicants are staying down the valley.
30:55Well, this is me, guys.
30:57Oh, there we are.
31:02You're quite excited.
31:04It's massive.
31:06You ready?
31:13Might be a bit damp.
31:16Ryan led from the front,
31:18in with a lamb that had gone dead weight into the wetland,
31:22onto the shoulder and trudging through that.
31:24I tell you, that's not an easy thing to do.
31:26And they are worthy of that first opportunity
31:29to stay in this wonderful farmhouse.
31:32Wowee!
31:34Well done.
31:36That'll keep us warm, won't it?
31:38Ryan today was totally comfortable,
31:40but we'll be coming to task later on in the process
31:43where those positions will be reversed.
31:46Kids playing outside.
31:47That'll be lovely in the evenings, won't it?
31:50What a start to this process.
31:52All of the applicants have come here
31:54and they have just fallen in love with this place.
31:57I mean, why wouldn't you?
31:59This could be ours, though.
32:01So we need to try our best, doesn't it?
32:04As a new day dawns,
32:06Ryan and Laurie have spent their first night in the farmhouse
32:10as temporary farm managers,
32:12looking after the animals and the land during their stay.
32:16KNOCK AT DOOR
32:18What a day. Good morning.
32:20Good morning, mate. How are you?
32:22Thank you. The sun's come.
32:24Oh, isn't it? Absolutely.
32:26What a view.
32:28It's lovely, isn't it?
32:30Oh, isn't it? Absolutely.
32:32What a view.
32:34I mean, it's absolutely epic.
32:36How was your night?
32:38I don't think I could sleep very well.
32:40I'm not surprised. I was too excited.
32:42Have you been busy already this morning?
32:44We were out for about half six, weren't we, this morning?
32:47Checking the sheep.
32:48We walked down to the yard and we let the chickens out.
32:51So how far away from here are you at the moment?
32:54We actually live about 40 minutes,
32:56but I farm about 50 minutes away.
32:59Last night, I dreamt that I woke up and I walked to work.
33:03I've never done that before.
33:05Wow. It ticked off a massive thing in my life.
33:07And for you, Laurie, as well, for him not to have to go so far
33:10and for the kids to see him more and all that.
33:12Oh, God, yes, I feel the strain, like when it's lambing season.
33:15Yeah.
33:16Because he's currently got a caravan in the shed
33:19and he stays there for three weeks.
33:21The dream is to have everything on site.
33:23For the kids to wake up and just walk outside to go and help him.
33:28Well, you're a great couple. I mean, what a partnership.
33:31Well, he's done well, I must say.
33:34Because there's a saying, isn't it,
33:36behind every good farmer, there's a better farmer's wife,
33:39which is, I couldn't have asked for a better farmer's wife.
33:42Oh, Laurie!
33:43He is three at times!
33:45You brought a tear to my eye, I tell you. I'm serious.
33:50Whilst we're in the house, the other applicants are exploring the farm.
33:55It's a shed for candy, isn't it?
33:57It is.
33:58Young farming couples Sarah and Eoghan
34:00are seeing what's on offer with the tenancy.
34:06And getting to grips with the farm's livestock, Arabie and Lloyd.
34:10Hello.
34:11Hi, Mama.
34:12It's nice to see a good lamb.
34:14That's it, Mam.
34:16Cheshire-based livestock and poultry farmer Greg
34:19is already feeling at home.
34:21We've certainly got some eggs, which is good.
34:28If we were lucky enough to get the farm, this would remain
34:31and we'd have some of our nicer-looking chickens stay here.
34:34So we would have our commercial-style chicken coop
34:37that we move around the pasture.
34:40Will and his mum Emma are also making plans.
34:44Could you put chickens down here?
34:48I think in there you can probably get away with either pigs or turkeys.
34:52You and your blooming pigs.
34:55And Liberty from Gloucestershire and Essex-based builder George
34:59are looking for potential business opportunities.
35:03Our plans is to have camping here and to have paddleboarding.
35:07It's just amazing. It's crystal clear.
35:12A good old sheep race.
35:14The futures of all of our applicants are in the hands of Giles and Tristan,
35:18who are responsible for choosing the new tenant.
35:22Herd yourselves into here.
35:24And they've asked everyone to join them in the sheep pens
35:27to explain what they have in store for them today.
35:30It's such a good job that the gather went well yesterday
35:33because it leads beautifully into today's job, Tristan.
35:37Yes, so today we want you to make over this sheep pen.
35:41It's a little bit tired. Some of the gates aren't hanging properly.
35:44There's new posts to go in.
35:46And George, I suspect you're having a good look around
35:48seeing how much you could charge us for that.
35:52We're expecting the farm as a whole, for whoever looks after it,
35:55to be looking after not only our land, but also our buildings,
35:59our walls and everything that goes with that.
36:02Not really nice for sheep in here, so let's get it clean and tidy.
36:05And then we wanted to sort all the sheep and lambs.
36:08And, Ryan, Laurie, as you're in the farmhouse,
36:10you get to sort things out for everybody this morning, OK?
36:13First off, we'll start here, make it so everything's ready, you know,
36:17and then we'll go and get the ewes.
36:19Probably get a strimmer in here, maybe.
36:21Yeah.
36:22I'm going to go and get a strimmer.
36:24Some vroom-vroom machines.
36:25Who's good with fences?
36:27The farm's been stocked with all of the tools and materials
36:31that the potential new tenants need to fix up the pens
36:34and demonstrate their practical skills.
36:37There's a bit of a plan coming together.
36:39I think it's more cleaning up first that we need to do.
36:43I think Greg's on the strimming.
36:47Giles and Tristan are expecting the applicants
36:50to repair the traditional stone walls and fences,
36:53build smaller internal pens to separate the flock
36:57and make use of a mobile sheep sorting system,
37:00known as a race, if they want.
37:02Alongside fellow hill farmers Jorn and Sarah,
37:05temporary farm manager Ryan is keeping things simple.
37:09Whack it.
37:11Make a hole.
37:13Whack that.
37:15Job.
37:17I don't know whether it's the wall that's not straight.
37:20See over there, Matt, where that fence finishes on that wall.
37:23Yesterday, that sheep quite often jump out over there,
37:26so that'll be interesting.
37:28Got it?
37:30Got it?
37:32You can lift it up higher than this.
37:34Abi and her partner Lloyd are securing the perimeter.
37:38There was one weak spot that I saw in the corner over there.
37:41Yes, with the help of an eagle-eyed will...
37:44We're going to look at that now, I think.
37:46..and liberty.
37:48The posts, some of them are a little bit sort of rotten
37:51and some of them are a little bit unsteady,
37:53so we're just taking them out
37:55and then make it hopefully Welsh mountain sheep-proof.
37:59I'm glad there's just that one out cos it's so rickety.
38:02If they're going to go anywhere, they're going to go there.
38:05Yes! That's it, that's it, that's it.
38:07Like that.
38:09They've all got a bit of a mission going
38:11and the weak spots that we knew were here are being attended to,
38:14which is what we were hoping to see.
38:16Yes, the dreaded corner.
38:18The corner and some of the sheets were off there.
38:21Clearly for George, the construction element of this
38:23is right in his comfort zone.
38:25I'm going to build my house.
38:27And what sort of build are you by trade?
38:29Chippy, carpenter.
38:31Like Jesus.
38:33LAUGHTER
38:35Impressed?
38:37Yes, and what's really encouraging
38:39is that they're creating areas for them to go to.
38:42We've got these historic features on our farms
38:44and the way that we keep these in good condition is to use them.
38:49Right, take it up, Ben.
38:51Will's mum, Emma, has volunteered to tow across the mobile sorting race.
38:55Do you drive a lorry, do you?
38:57Yeah. I took two sheep to a show the other day in a...
39:00In a lorry? In a lorry, yeah.
39:02A little two herd with.
39:04It is long, isn't it, this thing?
39:06Yeah, you've just got to watch the back.
39:08Can somebody open that gate just a little bit more
39:10so I can get through without bashing it?
39:12It's very new.
39:17What's happening, Lloyd? Well, it's coming together.
39:19We've put some posts, some safe stays there,
39:22so if they do push, it's not going to come.
39:24And then we've had a little crew busy in the corner here.
39:27We've placed the post in there. Excellent.
39:29Just to stop the gap. Go on, Abi. Come on, Will.
39:32Well, he makes me do fencing, so...
39:34I don't make her do the fences, I ask, will you help?
39:37Yes.
39:38How did you two meet?
39:40University swimming club.
39:42We met with swimming costumes on rather than clothes, you know,
39:46and I thought, I want to speak to that girl.
39:48I didn't approach her for quite a couple of months.
39:50Really? Were you just too nervous?
39:52Yeah. I was really scared.
39:54She just started chatting from there and didn't stop.
39:57Didn't stop.
39:58It's just experience we've had together, you know,
40:01and this is just incredible to be here.
40:03I know.
40:04And when you look out there, it just makes it, doesn't it?
40:07We'd never submitted a tenancy for any place before.
40:10For such a place like this, as a starting point,
40:12it would be incredible.
40:14Whatever the outcome of this, it will be useful going forward.
40:17Yes, it's life experience, isn't it?
40:19Well, you're almost ready to get these sheep in, I would say.
40:22Yes, we are. I think we are.
40:34Having refurbished the pens,
40:36the applicants must now herd the Welsh mountain flock
40:39from the lower fields to begin sorting them.
40:42I think someone up there, just in case they start to crawl and clamber,
40:45they shouldn't do.
40:47Although he's not temporary farm manager,
40:49Lloyd has taken it upon himself to position everyone along the track.
40:53Up a bit further across, then one on the road,
40:56M on the road, I was thinking.
40:58Emma, you happy here?
40:59Yeah.
41:00They might loop round the tree.
41:02Yeah.
41:03Everybody else can go gather the sheep, yeah?
41:05Yeah.
41:06They've spaced each other out to block the Welsh mountain sheep
41:09from running the wrong way down the road,
41:11which could have serious consequences.
41:14The key thing for us is that there are registered sheep
41:17on one side of the wall.
41:18We cannot have them, our sheep, mixing with those because of health
41:23and you've basically opened the door to transmitting viruses and so on
41:28and those sheep are then at risk.
41:30We'll all go tight to the fence.
41:33George, if you go to the left of those sheep there.
41:36Runner George is off.
41:38George is running, yeah.
41:40There's a sheepdog in the making.
41:43Come by, George.
41:45He'd probably outrun a sheepdog with you.
41:51They're holding a line, aren't they?
41:54Lloyd's making all the right noises, clapping, shouting.
41:59Come on, Liberty, get in.
42:01Come in, Liberty, come into the line.
42:05Hold, hold.
42:07Let the leaders take them through the gate.
42:13That was the easy bit.
42:14Now the applicants need to guide the sheep up the road
42:17to the right towards the pens.
42:19And I will make a big noise.
42:22But the flock has other ideas.
42:24Oh, bloody hell.
42:25Go to the right, hold, hold, hold, run.
42:27Oh, they've burst away, they're at the top.
42:33They're scattered all over the place.
42:35There's trees all over the place, there's stones.
42:37It's an easy place for sheep to scatter.
42:40They didn't quite put enough people, did they?
42:44They're all running down the road.
42:46This is a nightmare.
42:48What a cock-eye.
42:49They were standing in the wrong place.
42:51They were too far away, really.
42:53And the sheep saw the light.
42:55Ewan's just absolutely legged it down the bottom.
42:59Critically, we don't want them in with the Dorset sheep.
43:03I think Ewan's managed to stop them.
43:05Oh, no, they're going to jump the jumping over the top.
43:08Oh, no.
43:09They're going to come and stay by the wall in case they jump.
43:13I think we're going to have to help them.
43:16Tristan, you said I wouldn't have to chase sheep.
43:19You didn't read the small print, Mr Hunt.
43:22We definitely don't want them to mix with these Dorsets.
43:31Yeah, they're coming, they're coming.
43:33Well done, Abi.
43:34Finally, the applicants get the Welsh Mountain sheep
43:37in the right direction.
43:39Thankfully, they didn't mix with the Dorset ewes.
43:42They were jumping over, I was trying to push them back,
43:45but once the one went, they all went, like,
43:47oh, my gosh, I'm going to get taken out by a lamb.
43:50It's gone pretty cataclysmically wrong at this stage.
43:53This is only the start, we haven't even got them into the pens yet.
44:07I kept them separate, that's the main thing.
44:10But as far as Giles and Tristan are concerned,
44:14that wasn't very impressive.
44:19Guys, what happened?
44:22I think they're used to turning left.
44:24I bet you were all thinking that getting them into the pens
44:27is going to be a doddle and it just shows they can always go wrong.
44:30On the other side of the wall, there's Dorset ewes.
44:34They sort of had a peep on the top of the wall.
44:37What was the biggest risk of that happening?
44:40It's a closed flock, isn't it?
44:42Yeah, so they can't mix at all.
44:44What would you have done differently?
44:46In hindsight, it's lovely that is, isn't it?
44:48In hindsight, I would have hurdled it.
44:50They would have just hit the hurdles and come back up this way anyway.
44:53There are lots of spare hurdles in the back there,
44:56so luckily they didn't get in.
44:58Otherwise, I think we would have needed to have a conversation
45:01because of that risk.
45:03Could do better is the term I think I'd phrase.
45:07While the applicants reflect on the challenges
45:10of living and working on this farm,
45:12I'm getting Charles and Tristan's take on what they've seen so far
45:16in this unique selection process.
45:18These mountain sheep are such a vital part of life here.
45:22This is what this farm is about, really.
45:24The Welsh mountain flock is a key part of being a tenant.
45:28Challenging at times.
45:30It made some realise that this isn't that easy.
45:35It was slightly worrying.
45:37They hadn't really clocked the danger of the pedigree flock.
45:40They had the opportunity to plan that well.
45:42Important lessons learned.
45:46I think we got lulled into a false sense of confidence
45:50with the amount of people here.
45:53Hopefully there'll be a little bit more time for me to shine through
45:56and just show exactly what I can do.
46:00It's a bit like a circus with so many people involved.
46:08Next time, the applicants get hands-on.
46:11We're looking for the three Ts.
46:13Teeth, toes and tits.
46:17And they prepare the farm for some holidaymakers.
46:20Will it go?
46:21We're going to have to pull out in about 30 seconds
46:25whether they have a table or not.
46:30Next time, the applicants get hands-on.
46:32We're looking for the three Ts.
46:34Teeth, toes and tits.
46:36And they prepare the farm for some holidaymakers.
46:39Will it go?
46:40We're going to have to pull out in about 30 seconds
46:43whether they have a table or not.
46:45Will it go?
46:46We're going to have to pull out in about 30 seconds.
46:49Will it go?
46:50Will it go?
46:51Will it go?
46:52Will it go?
46:53Will it go?
46:54Will it go?
46:55Will it go?
46:56Will it go?
46:57Will it go?
46:58Will it go?
46:59Will it go?
47:00Will it go?
47:01Will it go?
47:02Will it go?
47:03Will it go?
47:04Will it go?
47:05Will it go?
47:06Will it go?
47:07Will it go?
47:08Will it go?
47:09Will it go?
47:10Will it go?
47:11Will it go?
47:12Will it go?
47:13Will it go?
47:14Will it go?
47:15Will it go?
47:16Will it go?
47:17Will it go?
47:18Will it go?
47:19Will it go?
47:20Will it go?
47:21Will it go?
47:22Will it go?
47:23Will it go?
47:24Will it go?
47:25Will it go?
47:26Will it go?