Chris Skinner's Countryside Podcasts

Send us Fan Mail In this captivating episode of the Countryside Podcasts, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin explore High Ash Farm amid its third heatwave, where nature’s cycle thrives. In Fox’s Grove, bluebell stalks release shiny black seeds, their retractile roots pulling bulbs deeper into gravelly soil, a silent promise for 2026’s bloom. Along the hedgerows, large bindweed’s bell-shaped flowers—...

Send us Fan Mail In this enchanting episode of the Countryside Podcasts, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin embrace a damp July morning at High Ash Farm, where a farm miracle unfolds. By the lake, tens of thousands of froglets and toadlets leap from their tadpole origins, abandoning the water in a breathtaking exodus, their tiny forms navigating metre-high grass to escape herons and owls. Half a mil...

Send us Fan Mail In this vibrant episode of the Countryside Podcasts, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin revel in High Ash Farm’s sultry July heat, where nature pirouettes in a stunning display. The red admiral’s dance unfolds as this migrant aristocrat flutters over an oak tree’s amber sap, its orange-and-black wings a vivid spectacle, while common centaury’s pink blooms nod to ancient healing myth...

Send us Fan Mail In this delightful episode of the Countryside Podcasts, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin linger in High Ash Farm’s yard, where sparrows thrive amidst 42 nest boxes, their fledglings peeking out as parents deliver 2000 daily feedings—a red-listed revival from near extinction 25 years ago. Nearby, bouncing bet (soapwort) unveils creamy blooms with soapy leaves, a historical gem once...

Send us Fan Mail In this captivating episode of the Countryside Podcasts, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin embrace a radiant June morning at High Ash Farm, where nature’s might and beauty collide. Following a fierce storm that dumped 38 millimetres of rain in an hour and a half, the farm’s meadows reveal a tapestry of grasses—tall meadow fescue, Yorkshire fog’s purple haze, and sweet vernal’s perf...

Send us Fan Mail In this enchanting episode of the Countryside Podcasts, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin ascend to the lofty heights of High Ash Farm, where June’s wild symphony reverberates across Norfolk’s landscape. On the historic gun field—once a wartime bastion with searchlights and artillery guarding Norwich from German bombers during the 1940s—a skylark soars, its trilling melody piercing...

Send us Fan Mail In this vibrant episode of the Countryside Podcasts, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin brave a blustery June morning at High Ash Farm, where summer’s rhythm pulses through Norfolk’s countryside. By a windswept hedgerow, they marvel at field and dog roses, their delicate white and pink petals whispering tales of Roman introductions and heralding scarlet hips for autumn. A majestic r...

Send us Fan Mail "Woodpeckers and Witches’ Brooms: Summer’s Secret Symphony" In this captivating episode of the Countryside Podcasts, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin dive into the early summer splendour of High Ash Farm, where nature hums with hidden wonders. From their bird hide, they marvel at great spotted woodpeckers—vivid parents darting to a lofty nest, feeding insatiable chicks i...

Send us Fan Mail Bask in the sunlit splendour of High Ash Farm’s wildflower meadows, where Chris Skinner guides us through a vibrant tapestry of nature’s small wonders. Marvel at the common blue butterflies, their Wedgwood-hued wings dancing over bird’s foot trefoil, a legume bursting into bright yellow bloom. Amid the meadow, yellow rattle thrives, subtly parasitizing grasses to foster a haven fo...

Send us Fan Mail Join Chris Skinner in the verdant depths of Fox's Grove, where spring unveils a remarkable tale of coexistence: badgers and foxes sharing the same sprawling set, with cubs of both species thriving in harmony. Discover the delicate beauty of the early purple orchid, steeped in Shakespearean lore, and marvel at the ash trees’ surprising sex-switching as they produce a prolific...

Send us Fan Mail Join Chris Skinner at High Ash Farm for a captivating exploration of nature’s quirks in Norfolk’s countryside. This week, Chris unveils the ghostly spectacle of a spindle tree shrouded in the webs of brown tail moth caterpillars, a phenomenon both eerie and fascinating, while warning of their irritating hairs. The journey continues with a dive into the world of oak galls—marble ga...

Send us Fan Mail Embark on a captivating journey with Chris Skinner as he ventures from High Ash Farm to the Suffolk coast at Aldeburgh to witness the awe-inspiring arrival of swifts. Marvel at these sickle-shaped marvels as they soar above the marshes, hoovering up aerial plankton and clocking millions of miles in their lifetime. Back at the farm, Chris explores the delicate white blooms of hawth...

Send us Fan Mail Join Chris Skinner at High Ash Farm for a vibrant spring morning filled with the tireless energy of returning swallows and the delicate beauty of the countryside. In this episode, Chris captures the dawn chorus as over 20 swallows busily build nests with mud and straw in the farm’s stables, marking the true arrival of summer. Venturing further, we explore the farm’s woodlands, whe...

Send us Fan Mail Join Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin on a rain-soaked adventure at High Ash Farm, where the long-awaited spring showers bring life to the Norfolk countryside. Under dripping umbrellas, they explore the sticky secrets of mistletoe, a semi-parasitic plant thriving on ancient trees, and marvel at the delicate pink-tipped blossoms of the native crab apple, a spiny ancestor of modern...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 2.15 of The Countryside Podcast with Chris Skinner , we’re back at High Ash Farm, where the first swallows of the season have arrived, heralding the promise of summer with their daring aerial acrobatics. Chris’s infectious enthusiasm shines as he shares the miraculous 5,000-mile migration of these tiny birds, weighing less than a sugar cube, and their pinpoint return to...

Send us Fan Mail April unfurls its wonders at High Ash Farm as Chris Skinner guides us through a sun-dappled tapestry of nature’s finest. From the slither of a grass snake basking in the warmth to the ancient whisper of windflowers carpeting the woodland floor, this episode is a celebration of spring’s slow and swift marvels. We chase the delicate dance of brimstone butterflies, marvel at the sex-...

Send us Fan Mail In "Episode 2.13 - Stoats, Sloes, Snipe and Spawn," Chris Skinner ushers us into a misty late March morning at High Ash Farm near Norwich. A trail cam unveils the stealthy common snipe, its long beak probing the lake’s edge, while frog and toad spawn teems in the shallows—high ash caviar aplenty. Blackthorn hedges burst with blooms, promising sloe gin delights, and a bol...

Send us Fan Mail Join farmer Chris Skinner for another enchanting journey through the wilds of High Ash Farm in this week’s Countryside Podcast. As spring unfolds, Chris shares a magical early morning encounter with Roe deer—fairies of the wood—dancing through the undergrowth, their velvet antlers catching the first light. Back at the farm, the porch comes alive with tiny black garden ants, emergi...

Send us Fan Mail In this exhilarating episode of the Countryside Podcasts, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin venture across High Ash Farm on a crisp mid-March morning, where spring begins to unfurl its wonders. From a windswept hill, they marvel at the elusive mad March hares—tawny-gold giants lounging on their seats, mere yards away—joined by Chinese water deer in a fleeting chase across the field...

Send us Fan Mail In this vibrant episode of the Countryside Podcasts, recorded on a glorious spring morning in early March at High Ash Farm, Chris Skinner and his co-host immerse listeners in the thriving world of nature. From the mobile bird hide (Chris’s farm truck), they observe the bustling High Ash Rookery, where rooks are busy rebuilding nests and laying eggs in ash and oak trees, adapting t...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 2.9 - Gravestones and Orchids: Echoes of Earth Step into the shadow of Caistor St. Edmund’s ancient churchyard with Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin, where weathered gravestones murmur tales of High Ash Farm’s toilers—men like “Happy” Holden and a boy who ploughed with horses before sailing to New Zealand. History fades into nature’s embrace as the duo tread a pollen field...

Send us Fan Mail "Travelers Above, Toilers Below" bids adieu to winter’s visitors and unearths the quiet laborers of the countryside. Join Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin at High Ash Farm under February’s low sun as they watch fieldfares and redwings fuel up for their North Sea journey, their cinnamon-speckled breasts aglow. Beneath the pastures, moles toil in darkness, shaping the soil...

Send us Fan Mail "Hidden in Plain Sight: The Silent Work of Nature’s Tiny Heroes" dives into the often overlooked yet crucial roles played by nature's smallest inhabitants. Join hosts Chris Skinner and Matthew as they explore High Ash Farm, uncovering the secrets of the ecosystem. From the heat of compost heaps teeming with brandling worms to the fascinating hares that roam the fiel...

Send us Fan Mail Join Rat Skinner, Farmer Chris and Matthew Gudgin at High Ash Farm for the latest episode of 'Gulps of Fresh Air,' where the countryside comes alive. This week, we're treated to the lively antics of Chris's boisterous terrier, not quite the sheepdog the flock behind us would prefer, as they prepare to move off the farm after a successful winter. Dive into the w...

Send us Fan Mail Join Chris Skinner on another enlightening episode of "The Countryside Podcast" at High Ash Farm. This week, Chris takes us on an adventurous journey, starting by exploring the unique life cycle of the moss Tortula muralis, perched high on an old roof accessed by a cherry picker. Discover how this resilient plant thrives in extreme conditions and its ecological importanc...