BBC Countryfile team film in Salisbury Plain

They visited Salisbury Plain to find out how the Ministry of Defence maintains the delicate balance between military training, farming and environmental protection in the UK’s largest military training area.

The Countryfile team visited the 94,000-acre training area two weeks ago to film material for an episode of the popular farming and conservation TV series broadcast on Sunday, September 15.

The Countryfile team’s visit was arranged with special security clearance by the MoD which is not only responsible for the nation's security, but is also one of the UK’s major landowners.

Countryfile presenter Matt Baker with Alice Eley and Connor Stapleton Goddard from Wiltshire Wildlife Trust (Image: BBC Countryfile)

Presenter Matt Baker donned his waders and met a Wiltshire Wildlife Trust team led by Alice Eley and project manager Connor Stapleton-Goddard during a visit to a Defence Infrastructure Organisation Conservation Stewardship Fund project that is restoring a threatened and vitally important chalk river near West Chisenbury

On Facebook, the Trust said: "Thrilled to have worked with BBC Countryfile on their upcoming Salisbury Plain episode, airing this Sunday! It's a privilege to share our passion and story with the nation."

Meanwhile, co-presenter Charlotte Smith met Jenny Bennett, a DIO ecologist, to find out how the protection of endangered flora and fauna is balanced with military training requirements. During the visit, she learned about the surprising environmental benefits that use of heavy military vehicles can bring.

Countryfile presenter Charlotte Smith with WO1 Jeff Elson looking at a protected shell scrape (Image: BBC Countryfile)

 Charlotte was also filmed chatting to Warrant Officer Class 1 Jeff Elson, a training safety office, about his responsibilities overseeing the vast area, which includes Sites of Special Scientific Interest and helped to restore a protected shell scrape, typically excavated by soldiers for shelter during overnight stays.

The team spoke to a Salisbury Plain tenant farmer Neil Harley, who told how he manages his herd of 500 cattle around tight military training operations, and the crucial role that conservation grazing plays in managing the chalk grassland.

They also met passionate birder David Waters, from the Great Bustard Project, who has dedicated his life to bringing back one of the heaviest flying birds in the world to Salisbury Plain.

Countryfile presenter Charlotte Smith with Richard Osgood, MoD senior archaeologist, at Bowls Barrow, a neolithic burial mound near Heytesbury. (Image: BBC Countryfile) They also spoke to DIO senior archaeologist Richard Osgood who is supervising an Operation Nightingale excavation of the neolithic Bowls Barrow burial mound near Heytesbury with participants including armed forces widows and former military veterans.

The episode aired on BBC One at 7pm on Sunday.

To watch the programme, visit www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m00232gn/countryfile-salisbury-plain.