Episode 1: Bare Ground

The rumble of traffic, the creak of rusting machinery; a distinct lack of wildlife’s thrum. This is the sound of the area that would eventually become the National Forest – but now, we’re in the late 1980s, following the closure of the coal and clay industries there. In this episode we focus on the things that preceded the National Forest’s inception, culminating in a land crying out for regeneration – not just environmentally, but economically and socially too. We explore the visionaries who decided to push for change, and how they made their voices heard. We understand what is at stake for the land and people who live here.