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Matt Baker discovers why Staithes, like St Ives and Newlyn in Cornwall, has attracted artists for over one hundred years. He finds out about a group of Victorian artists drawn to the town’s way of life and its wild seas and the resilient fisher folk. These artists became known as the Staithes Group. ÌýMatt uncovers historic evidence of the group hard at work as he gets to view a rare magic lantern show. The current crop of artists are still painting fishing boats and lobsters and working hard to ensure Staithes’ artistic heritage isn’t lost. Matt, inspired by what he sees, lends a hand and creates a work of his own.

High on the North York Moors, surrounded by glorious purple heather, lies a mysterious stone wall with lots of recesses along its length. Ellie Harrison discovers that in centuries gone by it could have been used as a community beehive. She tries her hand at creating a traditional hive, called a skep, and meets the Yorkshire beekeepers doing their bit to ensure high quality heather honey is still harvested.ÌýÌý

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In the last few years there has been a dramatic growth in the number of solar parks across the UK. Most provide welcome rent to farmers who own the land, but for some they are a blot on the landscape and interfere with the business of producing food. Tom Heap investigates the rise of the solar farm and asks why we are placing panels in fields while many millions of rooftops still lie empty.

The tiny town of Staithes was once one of the largest fishing ports in northern England. Ellie discovers it wasn’t just the men who faced a tough life. The fisherwomen worked hard doing everything from hauling in the boats to making their own bonnets - to protect their heads when carrying baskets of fish. ÌýEllie meets the last bonnet maker in Staithes and gets to try on one for herself. She is also shown ganseys, the traditional warm jumpers that were specially designed for local fishermen, many of whom still wear them.Ìý

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This week Adam Henson is busy harvesting his wheat, which will be turned into high quality milling flour for bread. Wheat is a staple food across the globe and it’s grown for a variety of reasons. ÌýAdam visits a £350 million purpose built plant that produces animal feed for livestock and bioethanol for cars. Bioethanol is a renewable energy that is extracted from crops like wheat. It can be blended with petrol to make transport fuel.

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As the tide goes out, the foreshore at Staithes reveals its secrets. Ellie is given a special tour by a local family who know every nook and cranny. She hunts for the semi-precious gem, jet, which was illegally mined from the towering cliff face. She also hauls in the fishing pots to reveal the sea’s plentiful bounty. As a lobster with eggs is discovered, she’s given a lesson in what to do to protect it.

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