Holy wells are a magical feature of the Welsh landscape – places where people have found dependable clean water and made offerings since ancient times. But over time, many have been forgotten or overlooked in the modern landscape. So in this episode, we head into the hills north of Pontypool to try to track down a well that has been used since Roman times – and trace its fascinating story through history. If you enjoy the podcast, please do leave feedback and ratings Hosted on Acast. See acast.c...
Jan 19, 2021•49 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast Meet the Severn Bore – a dramatic tidal wave that surges up the River Severn on rare occasions each year. Plodcast host Fergus joins local resident and naturalist James Fair for a wander along the river just before the Bore struck. A fantastic audio adventure with some great wildlife and surprise guests… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 12, 2021•44 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast Explore rivers, lakes and canals in this special season of podcasts. From meeting the Severn Bore and climbing remote hills in search of holy wells to finding treasure in streams and reflecting on the healing power of water, we enjoy the magic of our waterways over the next 12 episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 05, 2021•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Join the Countryfile Magazine plodcast team as we celebrate how the natural world has helped us – and you – through 2020. Plus, we reveal the podcast highlights of the year and what to look forward to in 2021. So pour yourself a warming drink, find a comfy armchair and enjoy a gentle chat and ramble through rural Britain. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 22, 2020•37 min•Ep 13•Transcript available on Metacast Jules Hudson has been helping people find their rural dream for over 13 years as host of the BBC's show Escape to the Country. Now he's written a book full of practical advice on how anyone can make the leap from urban stress to country retreat. Fergus Collins met Jules at his home in Herefordshire to discuss the dos and don'ts… Find out more in Jules's Escape to the Country Handbook, published by the National Trust. Plus don't miss our bonus Plodcast Postbag feature where we answer our listener...
Dec 15, 2020•44 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast Star of The Office, Detectorists and several blockbuster films, Mackenzie Crook has also written, directed and starred in a new adaptation of Worzel Gummidge. Christmas 2020 sees the third episode in the series and Mackenzie joins Maria Hodson to discuss why he loves this countryside character and how nature infuses his life. Plus, we introduce the Plodcast postbag – our listeners reviews and comments on recent podcast episodes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn ...
Dec 08, 2020•42 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast Come with us to a narrowboat on the Kennet and Avon canal to talk to Nick Hayes, author of the The Book of Trespass, about how little of the English countryside is open to walkers, riders and canoeists. Learn how our landscapes came to be owned by so few people – and how it might benefit the nation's health to open them up to the public Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 01, 2020•43 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast 20 years ago, the RSPB bought Hope Farm in Cambridgeshire to explore how best to farm sustainably and profitably while also creating a home for nature. Meet lapwings, linnets and wildflowers as we wander the farm in the company of manager Georgie Bray to discover that it is possible to create wildlife habitat and make a living from the land. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 24, 2020•47 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast Join Maria Fernandez-Garcia as she walks the riverbank and woodlands of Conham River Park on the edge of Bristol in search of autumn edibles. From ruby rosehips and hawthorn berries to lush lichens and nettle seeds, Maria discusses the many medicinal plants that can be gathered in autumn and used to make herbal medicine. Expect seasonal jams, root-based coffees, and hot, healing teas. Find out more about Maria’s work as a herbalist at Healing Weeds Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...
Nov 17, 2020•32 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast We escape back to summer in this podcast to explore a forgotten peninsula near the town of Caernarvon in North Wales. Enjoy beachcombing, plus a ramble over salt marshes and wildflower-filled sand dunes accompanied by curlews, oystercatchers and other seabirds. Pure wildlife delights! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 10, 2020•43 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast Horrible Histories, Ghosts and Detectorists star Simon Farnaby talks to Maria Hodson about his new book for children – where a Dark Age wizard turns up in the 2st-century countryside. Funny and thoughtful, Simon reveals his own rural childhood and his hopes for a wilder childhood for his own family. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 03, 2020•32 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast Storyteller Martin Maudsley takes a walk along Blood Lane and other ancient Dorset tracks telling tales old and new that celebrate the countryside and its people. Prepare to be thrilled and chilled as Martin explores the twilight world of spirits, strange events and weird wildlife. Find out more at https://martinmaudsley.co.uk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 27, 2020•37 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast The Black Mountains are the northern, often overlooked corner of Brecon Beacons National Park in south-east Wales – a land of seldom visited peaks and hidden valleys full of tales. Editor Fergus Collins meets Black Mountains resident and rural commentator Rob Yorke to discuss wildlife, farming, hunting and rewilding over breakfast on the Gaer, an ancient hillfort. Find out more robyorke.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit pod...
Oct 20, 2020•57 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast Nature writer Helen Macdonald is best known for her critically acclaimed book: H is for Hawk. While this award-winning tome focuses on Helen's efforts to train a goshawk, it struck a chord with many in the way it deals with family, belonging and grief – as well as the beautifully drawn explorations and adventures in the British countryside. Helen has a new book out, Vesper Flights, and she talks about both works and her love of the natural world with Maria Hodson with readings by Hannah Tribe. H...
Oct 13, 2020•31 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast Mya-Rose Craig – aka Birdgirl – is rapidly become one of Britain's leading environmental campaigners and an eloquent and persuasive voice for nature and for young people. Having just finished school, she talks about her hopes for our wildlife while taking Countryfile Magazine's Annabel Ross on a birdwatching tour of her home in the Chew Valley in North Somerset. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 06, 2020•50 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to episode 1 of season 7 of the BBC Countryfile Magazine plodcast – and meet the honey buzzards in a secret forest in South Wales. Honey buzzards are scarce summer migrants to the UK – a bird of prey that feeds mainly on wasps. Here Fergus Collins joins an expedition led by ornithologist Steve Roberts to locate a honey buzzard nest and ring the chicks in order to monitor their progress as they attempt to colonise the region. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Le...
Sep 29, 2020•48 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast From honey buzzards to Dark Age wizards and Napoleonic battles to the incredible Birdgirl, Season 7 of the Plodcast begins this autumn with 12 brand new adventures into the countryside for encounters with wildlife, chats with farmers, naturalists, campaigners and writers plus tranquil wanders into beautiful landscapes. Escape into the green outdoors wherever you are with the Plodcast. The new season begins on 29 September 2020 and runs for 12 episodes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for ...
Sep 22, 2020•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the final episode of series 6, we return to spring on the beautiful River Usk to celebrate the marvellous common toad – our cleverest amphibian. Follow Fergus Collins as he explores pools along the River Usk in the Brecon Beacons to meet hundreds of these warty wanderers as they gather to spawn. Plus, we explore some of the literary associations of the toad – from Shakespeare to Orwell. Find more about Britain's amphibians at the Countryfile Magazine website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pri...
Aug 25, 2020•25 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast Wade up the Candover Brook in Hampshire in the company of insect expert George McGavin and Zam Baring of the Wessex River Trust. Meet the hidden life of this beautiful waterway from mayflies and leeches to damselflies and bullheads. It's a truly delightful and entertaining adventure in one of Britain's most precious wild habitats. Annabel Ross is your host. Find out more about the Wessex Rivers Trust Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. V...
Aug 18, 2020•48 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast Enjoy a summer morning on the island of Seil in the company of poet Kenneth Steven and a chorus of oystercatchers. Kenneth reveals the wild history of his home and reads three beautiful poems amid the enchanting atmosphere of the island. You can find out more about Kenneth and his poetry here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 11, 2020•25 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast Lucy Jones is the author of Losing Eden, a book the exploring the science behind why we need nature in our lives – and what happens to us when we lose contact with the wild universe. Listen on for some fascinating insight into what the green outdoors can do for us - and hear Lucy's own journey from addiction and depression with the help of the natural world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 04, 2020•31 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast Enter the strange world of the nightjar in a dusk adventure on a secret Welsh hillside. Fergus Collins meets ornithologist Steve Roberts and listens to the strange song and stranger stories of this bizarre nocturnal bird. Steve rings the nestlings and tracks the species' progress in Wales. With thanks also to Hannah Tribe for giving voice to various readings throughout. You can find out more about nightjars at the BBC Countryfile Magazine website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more i...
Jul 28, 2020•44 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast Medieval historian Dr Emma Wells reveals the secrets and mysteries hidden in our rural chapels and churchyards. She talks about their importance in the history of the countryside, the power of sanctuary and what to look for on your next visit. For more on rural churches, visit the Countryfile website special section on great churches to visit Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 21, 2020•34 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast We join storyteller Martin Maudsley in the ancient lanes of Dorset tracing in the footsteps and the hideout of The Rogue Male – the title character of the renowned 1930s spy thriller written by Geoffrey Household. So follow Martin as he wanders into these strange and enticing holloways, delves into local folklore and reveals some the literary magic woven into our landscapes. Plus along the way, Martin tells some of his own fabulous little tales. More on Martin's storytelling Hosted on Acast. See...
Jul 14, 2020•45 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode we head to Dartmoor to wander through landscapes where local farmers have worked tirelessly to bring wildlife back to their fields and hills. Listen on for cuckoos, encounters with rare butterflies and some truly uplifting conversation with Tim Martin of Farm Wilder. A former producer at the BBC’s natural history unit, Tim set up Farm Wilder to help farmers work more sustainably with the land and, as you’ll hear, his work is really paying off. Our own Annabel Ross met him for a w...
Jul 07, 2020•59 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast Enjoy a peaceful retreat to the gentle island of Seil in the Inner Hebrides in the genial company of Scottish poet Kenneth Steven. Hear Kenneth's reflections on writing, life in lockdown and some of the wild encounters he has every day with wild geese and marsh harriers. Plus, listen on for one of his own award-winning poems. For more about Kenneth, visit https://kennethsteven.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoice...
Jun 30, 2020•26 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast Take a May-time wander with editor Fergus Collins to a distant unexplored woodland – meet the local rabbit populations along the way, listen to a chorus of linnets and listen to the fabulous exotic melody of the wood warbler deep among the oaks. A sublime, gentle adventure in the countryside. For more days out and articles on British wildlife, head to the BBC Countryfile Magazine website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastc...
Jun 23, 2020•50 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast Join TV naturalist Dr George McGavin as he explore the incredible life along a hedgerow near his home in Berkshire. Known for his regular slots on the One Show and many other BBC nature programmes, George is fascinated by insects and shares his discoveries – and some brilliant stories – with our own Annabel Ross in this delightful spring adventure. Find out more about hedgerow wildlife at our website countryfile.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about yo...
Jun 16, 2020•45 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast Kevin Parr heads to a secret common and woodland in Dorset to at the crack of dawn to hear Britain's most famous songster – the increasingly scarce nightingale. Listen on for a memorable and stunningly beautiful audio experience. Plus, we hear from one of the 20th century's greatest nature writers and poets, Edward Thomas, on the power of the nightingale's song. For more on nightingales and other British songbirds, visit our website countryfile.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...
Jun 09, 2020•36 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast Do red squirrels make little boats to sail on? Nature writers of the 19th century thought so. In this episode, writer Caroline Greene explores some of the ideas and beliefs early nature writers had regarding our wildlife. Reading from a variety of amusing and bizarre sources, Caroline reveals the curious thinking of early observers of the natural world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 02, 2020•21 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast 
