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BBC Springwatch Page 1 |
BBC Springwatch Page 2 |
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Bill Oddie and Kate
Humble from the BBC Springwatch have re-located from
broadcasting in Devon to Pensthorpe in the Wensum Valley at
Fakenham, Norfolk.
Pensthorpe was
originally a quarry and Bill Makins always dreamed that when
excavations were complete he would turn it back to nature as a
conservation area. This work has been continued by Bill and Deb
Jordan the new owners who are a very big part of the managing
team and spend most of their working days at Pensthorpe.
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Over the past 25 years, Pensthorpe has been transformed to the
magnificent wild habitat it is today with its’ 500 acres of
wetland, lakes, meadows and woods with hundreds of species of
wildlife.
For a good walker you will need at least 4 hours to walk around
Pensthorpe and for most people a full day, yet still you would struggle to
see everything. Many of the walks are very wheelchair friendly
and there is something for everyone, young and old. Work is
continuous and new ideas and species are constantly being added.
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Aerial
Shot Above Pensthorpe
taken
by Mike Page |
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It was during a
previous filming trip at Pensthorpe that Bill Oddie thought this
would be a good location for Springwatch and when the BBC after
4 years in Devon decided it was time to move, Bill suggested
Pensthorpe. Talks began and in
early May 2008 Anne Varley, the Production Manager of Springwatch and
Autumnwatch moved in with the 120 strong team it takes to run
this production. The BBC village was set up with its’ portacabins and trailers filled with film and broadcasting
equipment, some 50 remote cameras and 12 miles of cable making
this BBC’s largest outside broadcast production. After 2 weeks
of preparation and rehearsals Bill and Kate arrived and filming
began.
Their previous location was a remote, private organic farm so
the first challenge that was presented to the team was that
Pensthorpe was a very public place. So, when much of the
rehearsals were taking place, there was the constant sound of
clicking cameras as everyone wanted to take photos. Sound
was also found to be much different to the remote farm in Devon
and to top it all during the next 2 weeks of filming the weather
changed and all we had was rain, lots of it. But
everything was overcome and Pensthorpe, the BBC and - best of
all Bill and Kate - said it was a very successful Springwatch
with many "firsts" in filming and they are all very much looking
forward to the return next year and hopefully many more as was
the case in Devon. They all feel that they have only
scratched the surface of what is available here at Pensthorpe
and the many surrounding areas of Norfolk.
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