The Plodcast

Join a fascinating discussion with Corinne Pluchino of the Campaign for National Parks looking at how our most famous protected areas are faring and what needs to be done to ensure wild habitats and human inhabitants are provided for in the future. Will the Government follow the recommendations of the Glover Report? Plus, we answer whether the Norfolk question: are the Broads a national park or no...

Discover the 6th-century saint Melangell who defied a Welsh prince and created a sanctuary for people and wildlife in stunning Cwm Pennant on the edge of Snowdonia. Julie Brominicks takes a pilgrimage across the hills to find the hidden valley – where she meets with the Guardian of the Shrine the Reverend Christine Browne. Julie also encounters a modern threat to the tranquility of this sacred pla...

An utterly delightful adventure with truffle hunter Tom Lywood and his dog Tobacco as they track down truffles in a woodland in south-west England. Learn about the ancient art of hunting these rare and much-prized treasures and why they are so special. And be envious of host Annabel Ross as she gets to taste one of nature's greatest treasures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inform...

After last episode's adventure finding the official source of the River Thames near Cirencester, the team head north deeper into the Cotswolds in search of the beginnings of the River Churn, which some people believe is the true source of England's greatest river. But there's a further surprise in store. Listen on to find out how they got on. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informa...

The River Thames is Britain's most famous river but how many people have actually journeyed to its source? Fergus Collins braves floods and marshes to head upstream into the Cotswolds and track down the very beginnings of what Churchill described as the "golden thread running through our history". But what if the official spring at Thameshead isn't the true source? Listen on to hear a journey of w...

Shetland is becoming increasingly well known for its killer whale population – learn more about them as travel writer James Fair heads to Shetland mainland to talk to Hugh Harrop of Shetland Wildlife They also chat about the realities of life in winter so far north and other wildlife treasures of these magical isles. We are also pleased to announce that the BBC Countryfile Magazine podcast has bee...

Writer, broadcaster and farmer Jonathan Dimbleby discusses his grand vision for the countryside, his love of horses and hunting and his life on TV and radio, while walking with our own Annabel Ross in the south Devon countryside. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jim Dixon collects and sells classic books on fly fishing from his bookshop in the Peak District town of Bakewell. Angler Andrew Griffiths meets with Jim to discuss the greatest book of fishing and natural history ever written – The Compleat Angler by Isaak Walton. Join them for a delightful chat about fly fishing, natural history and the British countryside Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy...

Meet Annette Woolcock who promotes the eating of game through the organisation Taste of Game. Listen on for a fascinating discussion of the merits of eating wild meat PLUS the pros and cons of shooting in the modern British countryside. You can vote in the Eat Game Awards mentioned in the podcast until 29 February. Editor Fergus Collins hosts this podcast in the wonderful setting of the National T...

Escape the stress of daily life for a taste of fresh air and unusual wildlife with a wild winter walk along the clifftops of Glamorgan. Join Fergus Collins in a walk from Dunraven Bay to Monknash on a glorious Friday in early winter to encounter coughs, kestrels, gulls and the heartening song of the sea. For more information on the countryside and BBC Countryfile Magazine, visit countryfile.com Ho...

Listen out for the start of season 4 on 7 January 2020. Here's a quick taste of what to expect… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join us for a gentle chat with the team at BBC Countryfile Magazine discussing the best wild experiences of 2019, what we would change about the countryside if we could and what makes the perfect Christmas present for lovers of the green outdoors. We'll be back with Season 4 of the podcast on 7 January 2020. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choi...

Listen to the song of the River Usk in autumn as you follow editor Fergus Collins on a gentle ramble through a recently flooded landscape to find wildfowl, waders and other creature. Plus, discover a blood-soaked story of treachery hidden in a peaceful riverside earthwork. This is the last of the series in season 4. We'll be returning with more podcasts in January 2020. Hosted on Acast. See acast....

Explore the wonderful Lost Gardens of Heligan with its finder and restorer Tim Smit (who also established the Eden Project). Prepare yourself for some entertaining surprises as Tim discovers some of the more unusual produce of the magical vegetable garden. Tim is talking to Annabel Ross. You can find out more about the Lost Gardens by visiting the website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...

Naturalist James Fair heads to the island of Mousa to experience an eerie and wonderful wildlife encounter: life inside a colony of storm petrels . These sparrow-sized seabirds nest among the stones of an Iron Age fortress and await the return of their mate each evening after a day's fishing. James also speaks to local boatman and wildlife expert Rodney Smith of the Mousa Boat https://www.mousa.co...

Take a wander through the autumn glades of the RSPB's Nagshead Nature Reserve in the company of Sarah Orme from In the Moment magazine to talk about mindfulness and how nature can provide us with the head space to cope with the stresses of modern life. However, there is an unexpected wildlife encounter to get the heart racing! In the Moment produce a brilliant podcast themselves talking to people...

Take an autumnal ramble with Simon Pickering, naturalist and ecological advisor to the green energy company Ecotricity. As we wander through restored wildflower meadows, Simon describes how wind, solar and aerobic digestion can supply all of Britain's energy needs in the future. For more about the British countryside, great walks and the latest rural news visit our action-packed website countryfil...

Take a fascinating woodland walk with Lisa Fenton, a tracker, forager and bushcraft expert who can read the stories of a woodland. Here she talks to our own Eleanor Rosamund Barraclough at the Timber Festival in the National Forest in Leicestershire. Find out more at timber festival.org.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastc...

Bear Wood, part of Bristol's Wild Place is the location of a surprising new project where bears, wolves, lynx and wolverines will be allowed to roam free in a vast enclosure of deciduous woodland as would once have done in Britain's ancient past. Our own Daniel Graham explored the new attraction in the company of Will and others from the Wild Place project. And don't forget to visit our website co...

Peter Wood creates beautiful furniture from natural materials using traditional skills and tools. Our own Eleanor Rosamund Barraclough joins him at the Timber Festival in the National Forest in Leicestershire to watch him teach others to learn this deeply satisfying woodland craft. Find out more about the British countryside at countryfile.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inform...

In early August, storms and exceptionally heavy rain overloaded a reservoir about the town of Whaley Bridge in Derbyshire – but it was the local vicar Father Jamie Macleod who first spotted the danger, raised the alarm and led the community response. He talks to our own Andrew Griffiths about these few summer days of epic drama. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn mo...

Come with us to the Cambrian Mountains in Ceredigion in West Wales to the ruined Cistercian abbey of Strata Florida. Here locals historians are setting up an archaeology school where anyone can come along and dig among the 800-year-old ruins to help them build a better picture of this beautiful, mysterious and important site for Welsh culture and politics. So enjoy a day of treasure hunting deep i...

Stuart Freeman and his horse Breeze work closely together to manage woodlands where big machines are impractical or cause too much damage. It's a charming story about our woods, wildlife and the friendship between one man and his horse – as told to Eleanor Rosamund Barraclough at the Timber Festival this summer in Leicestershire. For more on the British countryside, please visit our website countr...

Jack Perks is the first man to film or photograph every one of the UK's 54 species of freshwater fish. In this episode, we go fish watching with him on the River Frome and meet a host of wild creature, learn how he found and filmed all these elusive animals and discover some of the stranger 'fisherman's tales' from his adventures. This is the first of 12 episode in season 3. Find out more on count...

Listen out for the start of season 3 on 27 August. Here's a quick taste of what to expect… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices