Wild Tales | Nature Podcast

On 18th March AD 978 at Corfe Castle in Dorset, a 16-year-old boy was brutally stabbed in the back and died shortly after. That boy was the teenage king, Edward the Martyr. But who was the murderer, or murderers?  Join James Grasby and author Anna Groves on this Halloween historical Whodunnit, as they try and figure out who committed the regicide, with the help of some other worldly encounters. [A...

Join the adventures of Ranger Rae and the Wildlifers, the new kids' podcast from the National Trust. Introducing the Wildlifers, a crew of colourful creatures who use their special skills to help where there's trouble in nature. Beaver’s a super engineer. Sleepy Bat’s skill is sonar. Wildcat’s a proud predator. Deer’s strong and speedy. Fox has a nose for trouble. Shy Mole’s an expert digger, and...

Historian David Olusoga tells the story of the children born to white British mothers and black American servicemen during the Second World War, dubbed Britain’s ‘Brown Babies’ in the African American press at the time.   Carol and Ann, now in their 80s, revisit their childhood home, Holnicote House in Somerset. During the 1940s, the building was used for the care of around 30 children of black GI...

What if you could follow in the footsteps of your ancestors and reveal the hidden tales behind some of the UK’s fascinating historical locations?   Introducing Step into the Past, a podcast from our sponsors at Findmypast.        In this episode, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and her guest Sandy travel to the not-so-stately home of Calke Abbey in Derbyshire to discover Sandy’s family’s longstanding...

On September 27th 2023, the famous Sycamore Gap tree in Northumberland was felled overnight in an act of vandalism, triggering a far-reaching wave of shock and sorrow.   Join Heather Birkett as she goes behind the scenes to explore the enduring impact of this beloved landmark, the aftermath of its loss, and the community’s efforts to preserve its memory. A video version of this podcast is availabl...

Our lovely nature presenter and ranger Kate Martin is leaving to join our friends at the RSPB, helping to care for wildlife in Scotland. Here are some of Kate's best bits and few moments from behind the scenes. On behalf of everyone at the National Trust, from our listeners and from the podcast team, thank you and wishing you a great and adventure filled future.

A stretch of water between the mainland and Rathlin Island is home to some of the world’s most unique wildlife and infamous shipwrecks.  Ranger Kate Martin continues her adventure along Northern Ireland’s causeway coast, this time exploring life under water.    [Ad from our sponsor]  This podcast is supported by Tourism Ireland  Experience all of what Northern Ireland has to offer from standing on...

Don’t look down! Across a rope bridge over a  stretch of water on Northern Ireland’s causeway coast lies the Island of Carrick-a-Rede and a fisherman’s cottage that has stood for centuries.   Ranger Kate Martin, heads off on her holiday, to make the crossing and to learn how this old bridge became the focal point for a community and rich coastal traditions.   [Ad from our sponsor] This podcast is...

Jo and Katherine continue their bikepacking adventure, starting day two in Bude, with a surprise twist after breakfast, before heading up the coast to Devon. They visit the National Trust’s smallest property, Hawkers Hut, on the way and join in an activity Jo last did at the age of eight. With thanks to Raleigh UK Production Hosts: Jo Dyson and Katherine Moore, and introduced by Claire Hickinbotha...

What happens when you combine backpacking and cycling? In this classic 2-parter we join Jo Dyson as she gets to grips with ‘bikepacking’ under the expert guidance of Katherine Moore and tackles the unforgiving hills of the north Cornish coast. With thanks to Raleigh UK Production Hosts: Jo Dyson and Katherine Moore, and introduced by Claire Hickinbotham Producers: Sean Douglas, Pippa Tilbury-Harri...

In this classic episode, you’re invited to a midnight party happening deep in the woods. Meet the ravers, movers and shakers as they emerge from slumber to rule nature’s nightclub.   Ranger Kate Martin heads out into the twilight landscape of Cragside, Northumberland in search of bats, moths and underwater noise makers. Production Host: Kate Martin Producer: Michelle Douglass Sound editor: Jesus G...

Deep under the hillsides of Carmarthenshire lie the remains of the UK’s only known Roman gold mines.   With a head torch to guide the way, James Grasby ventures into the void to unearth the secrets that lurk in the darkness and finds out the pioneering efforts that the Romans went to in order to extract this precious metal.  Click here to view these show notes in Welsh [Ad from our sponsor] This p...

Ex-professional footballer Tayshan Hayden-Smith turned to the healing power of nature after the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy in 2017.  Since then, he’s been on a journey to bring access to nature to all. He shows ranger Kate Martin around his local community garden and together they see that a garden can be anywhere and anything.  Later Kate heads to the National Trust’s Sutton House to see the gar...

If you didn’t have money and a way to support yourself and your family in the 1800s you might be forced to go into the workhouse. Find out what life was really like for the men, women and children who ended up there.  Heading into the Workhouse, even if modern times, feels ominous and foreboding. Walk alongside Curator James Grasby as he enters The Workhouse and Infirmary in Southwell and takes on...

When one man set off on a walk around the UK coast, little did he know that adopting a rescue dog would change the course of his life.  Christian Lewis was at rock bottom when he embarked on a journey that would last 6 years, but it was ‘Jet’ and the power of nature, that would piece him back together to lead him onto a life that would otherwise have been unimaginable for this army veteran. [Ad fr...

The Philae Obelisk at Kingston Lacy in Dorset is an ancient reminder of a very different world.  Learn about its origins, why it came to be in England and how its hand-carved inscriptions were key to unlocking the secrets of Egyptian hieroglyphs. Listen to this classic episode from our series 125 Treasures, presented by Alison Steadman. [Ad from our sponsor] This podcast episode is sponsored by fa...

Join us as we celebrate the season of blossom with poetry and music written and produced by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage and his band LYR.  In this episode, Simon shares the inspiration behind his poetry, and the band discuss how they produced the song Blossom: A CV and collaborated with community choirs as part of the Blossomise album. Production Producer: Jesse Edbrooke Sound editor: Jesus Gomez...

In the 1930s, the mysterious Ferguson’s Gang captivated the British public with their daring and unusual stunts.  Led by the enigmatic “Bill Stickers”, the group was unlike any other gangsters of the era. They were mask-wearing, all-women activists who gave money in quirky ways to help save the countryside.  In this docudrama, uncover the identities of the people behind the secretive Ferguson's Ga...

For the past few years Holnicote Estate, Exmoor National Park, has been home to furry inhabitants engineering a solution to local flooding, and developing a habitat not seen in the UK for centuries.   In this episode we revisit the site to check in on its charismatic residents. And discover the exciting news of a growing brood of babies, just in time for Christmas.   Production Host: Kate Martin P...

Drag and British history go hand in hand with each other when the two meet on the stage. From Shakespeare to Pantomime the idea of gender play as part of performance has been a staple of British culture for centuries. Growing up, Drag Queen Misty Monique thought it was a bit unfair that at the weddings she went to, men wore suits while women could wear a variety of outfits and costumes.  Discoveri...

In 1939, archaeologists uncovered a “ghost ship” under the acidic sandy soil of Sutton Hoo, in Suffolk. Now, presenter James Grasby reimagines the last journey of that vessel, and who was aboard, as it was hauled from the water and dragged to its final resting place at Sutton Hoo some 1,400 years ago. Embark on the last voyage of this Anglo-Saxon burial ship and learn how its discovery changed our...

In March 1939 a group of 23 children and their two adult guardians stepped off a coach in Waddesdon village, Buckinghamshire.  The arrivals were Jewish refugees who had escaped Nazi Germany, where they had been forced to leave behind their homes and loved ones.  With support from their sponsors James and Dorothy de Rothschild and the local community, the children began a new life in England. Prese...

Geocaching is the 21st century answer to treasure hunting with items hidden across the world in towns, cities, forests and wild expanses. Novice Jo Dyson and expert Rich Foster embark on a modern-day adventure at the 320-million-year-old Brimham Rocks in Yorkshire. Follow in the footsteps of dinosaurs, druids and Victorian day-trippers across this rugged landscape in search of hidden gems. Product...

Join a tour of a garden designed for pleasure, as we relive its party heyday.  Claremont in Surrey once played host to events described as the lovechild of a festival and a palace garden party.  Presenter James Grasby uncovers the best spots, the shenanigans they elicited, and the most incredible views reminiscent of scenes from hit Netflix drama, Bridgerton. Production Host: James Grasby Producer...

Journey to a tiny island renowned for adventure. Brownsea Island, off England’s southwest coast is the birthplace of the Scout movement and where history and the outdoors collide for a favourite British pastime, camping. Join presenter Jo Dyson as she spends the night in a tree tent and discovers what this unique island has to offer after dark. Production Host: Jo Dyson Producer: Pippa Tilbury-Har...