England and Wales break temperature records for 1 October
Temperature of 29.9C in Gravesend, Kent, is hottest since records began, beating previous high set in 1985
South Downs gypsum mining unearths fortune in heart of 1066 country
Britain’s largest deposit of gypsum goes largely unnoticed in country’s newest national park
‘Crown jewels’ of Britain’s landscape could be sold off
Key nature reserves could be run by big business
Conservationists split over private sector takeover
