The Plodcast

It's episode 300 of the Plodcast! To mark this momentous occasion, Plodcast regulars Hannah, Jack and Lewis join host Fergus for a return to the scene of episode one: Watership Down in Hampshire – setting for one of the best loved novels about nature, written by Richard Adams. Back in that first episode, Fergus ventured alone in early January – this time the team are seeing what wildlife turns up in early spring. Thank you so much to everyone who has been on this journey with us. Please do get in touch! And now you can get in touch with the Plodcast team via: The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast group on Facebook & BBC Countryfile Magazine's Instagram page. UK Plodcast listeners can take advantage of a special subscription to BBC Countryfile Magazine where you can receive you first 3 issues for just £6. Head to www.ourmediashop.com/plodcast25 The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: [email protected]. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme tune was written and performed by Blair Dunlop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A morning's walk leads you to a ramshackle farm where a bench has been left out for walkers. As you take advantage of this kindness and drink tea from a flask, chiffchaffs, swallows and collared doves compete for your attention – like a parade of avian buskers. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded by Fergus Collins, introduced by Hannah Tribe. Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Plodcast host Fergus Collins returns to his Somerset roots this episode to explore a country house that he used to explore as a child. Now it has been transformed into The Newt, a world-famous country house hotel, garden and farm with innovation and environment at its heart. In this part one of the visit, Fergus explores the farm, meets its livestock and gain insight into its ethos with The Newt's Arthur Cole. In part 2, to be broadcast later in the summer, Fergus and Arthur roam The Newt's extensive gardens. And now you can get in touch with the Plodcast team via: The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast group on Facebook & BBC Countryfile Magazine's Instagram page. UK Plodcast listeners can take advantage of a special subscription to BBC Countryfile Magazine where you can receive you first 3 issues for just £6. Head to www.ourmediashop.com/plodcast25 The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: [email protected]. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme tune was written and performed by Blair Dunlop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A wander through a scrubby wooded cwm brings you out into a glade with a view towards the Preseli Hills of Pembrokeshire. But at your feet is a calm pool, tadpoles squiggling in the margins. Chiffchaffs, blackcaps, robins and others provide a dizzying spring soundtrack. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded by Fergus Collins, introduced by Hannah Tribe. Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A special extended edition of the Plodcast this week as we embark on an adventure with celebrated writer Robert Macfarlane to walk the length of a chalk stream from the centre of Cambridge to its source. Rob has long campaigned to tackle our polluted and degraded rivers and his magnificent new book Is a River Alive? explores inspiring ways to look after our waterways better – through a series of encounters and adventures. But what will we discover on this Plodcast quest? It's magical and surprising, for sure. Robert Macfarlane's new book, Is a River Alive?, is published by Penguin. And now you can get in touch with the Plodcast team via: The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast group on Facebook & BBC Countryfile Magazine's Instagram page. UK Plodcast listeners can take advantage of a special subscription to BBC Countryfile Magazine where you can receive you first 3 issues for just £6. Head to www.ourmediashop.com/plodcast25 The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is there a more peaceful way to travel than by canal boat? You sit back and relax as you potter slowly along the Monmouth-Brecon canal. But what's this? It's action – you've got to operate the lock in order to continue your journey. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded by Mark Turner, introduced by Hannah Tribe. Image by Getty Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Come to the centre of Cambridge to walk along the River Cam with Tony Juniper. Conservationist and chair of Natural England, Tony is one of the world's most influential environmental campaigners and he has written a book, Just Earth, that addresses the critical and drastic change society needs to embrace to counter climate change and biodiversity loss. Listen on to find out more. Fergus Collins is your host. Tony's new book, Just Earth, is published by Bloomsbury. And now you can get in touch with the Plodcast team via: The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast group on Facebook & BBC Countryfile Magazine's Instagram page. UK Plodcast listeners can take advantage of a special subscription to BBC Countryfile Magazine where you can receive you first 3 issues for just £6. Head to www.ourmediashop.com/plodcast25 The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: [email protected]. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme tune was written and performed by Blair Dunlop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You pause beside the river, watching sunlight play on the rapids. Above the rush of the water, you hear the excitable snickering of common sandpipers – a pair are flying in wide circles, low over the water, their wingtips skimming the surface in a daring courtship flight. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded by Fergus Collins, introduced by Hannah Tribe. Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Poppy Okotcha explains how to garden for contentment, health and deeper connection with nature and community. Plodcast host Fergus Collins met the fashion model-turned-horticulturalist at her beautiful spring garden in Devon to learn a simpler way to be. Poppy's new book, A Wilder Way: How gardens grow us, is published by Bloomsbury. And now you can get in touch with the Plodcast team via: The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast group on Facebook & BBC Countryfile Magazine's Instagram page. UK Plodcast listeners can take advantage of a special subscription to BBC Countryfile Magazine where you can receive you first 3 issues for just £6. Head to www.ourmediashop.com/plodcast25 The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: [email protected]. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme tune was written and performed by Blair Dunlop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's early evening on a remote sheep farm in Warwickshire. The orange sunset slants through the trees and the lambs are softly bleating. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded by Lewis Dobbs, introduced by Hannah Tribe. Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we're heading to a sheep farm in Warwickshire just south of Birmingham. It's lambing time and young farmer Bizza Walters and her family reveal the ups and downs of this crucial, stressful, delightful few weeks in spring. Plus we talk about why farmers need mental health support and discuss other big issues facing the farming community. You can find Bizza on Instagram (@bizza.walters), other social media and her website www.bizzawalters.co.uk/ And now you can get in touch with the Plodcast team via: The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast group on Facebook & BBC Countryfile Magazine's Instagram page. UK Plodcast listeners can take advantage of a special subscription to BBC Countryfile Magazine where you can receive you first 3 issues for just £6. Head to www.ourmediashop.com/plodcast25 The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: [email protected]. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme tune was written and performed by Blair Dunlop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a peaceful Dorset valley, a garden looks onto wide farmland. As a blackbird sings seductively from the hedgerow, a yellowhammer tests out his rising song of summer joy from somewhere out in the open landscape. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded by Kevin Parr, introduced by Hannah Tribe. Image from Getty Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the opening of Britain's most famous long-distance footpath, Plodcast host Fergus met folk singer Johnny Campbell to walk part of the route. Johnny is spending 19 days walking the entire route from Derbyshire to the Borders of Scotland – gigging almost every evening. His powerful songs are rooted in the landscape and the struggles of ordinary people to gain access to nature and fresh air. Listen on for a live rendition of one of Johnny's most famous songs. You'll also hear the voice of Johnny's friend and walking companion 'sherpa' Freddie. You can find out more about Johnny on his website www.johnnycampbell.co.uk and you can find his songs on all the major streaming services. And now you can get in touch via: The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast group on Facebook & BBC Countryfile Magazine's Instagram page. UK Plodcast listeners can take advantage of a special subscription to BBC Countryfile Magazine where you can receive you first 3 issues for just £6. Head to www.ourmediashop.com/plodcast25 The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: [email protected]. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme tune was written and performed by Blair Dunlop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're on the cusp of spring but winter clings on in rasping voices of ravens. As you walk in the cold sunlight of early March across a field to a stand of trees, starling song cascades, while skylarks erupt sporadically, dreaming of warmer days. But you also catch the chack-chack-chack of fieldfares, winter visitors escaping the deep cold of their Scandinavian homeland. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded by Fergus Collins, introduced by Hannah Tribe. Image from Getty Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, join Plodcast host Fergus Collins as he explores a local woodland for the first time in search of a legendary woodpecker – with gorgeous birdsong along the way. Plus, author Kerri Andrews reads from her powerful new book: Pathfinding: On Walking, Motherhood and Freedom, published by Elliott and Thompson And after all that, join the Plodcast team in the studio for a round up of listener messages and nature chat. And now you can get in touch via: The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast group on Facebook & BBC Countryfile Magazine's Instagram page. UK Plodcast listeners can take advantage of a special subscription to BBC Countryfile Magazine where you can receive you first 3 issues for just £6. Head to www.ourmediashop.com/plodcast25 The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: [email protected]. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme tune was written and performed by Blair Dunlop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A muddy farm track separates willow woodland from a wide expanse of marshland. You pause to listen to linnets commuting from wood to water meadow while a chaffinch chortles a joyful tune, laughing at the sunshine. Meanwhile, the first chiffchaff of the year belts out his two-note song. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded by Fergus Collins, introduced by Hannah Tribe. Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we're in Leicestershire exploring the beautiful Welland Valley with countryside writer and farming expert Tim Relf. Plodcast host Fergus walks through this stunning, overlooked landscape with Tim and they discuss farming issues such as the controversial proposed changes to inheritance tax and the Sustainable Farming Incentive. To learn more about the Neville family, as mentioned by Tim, listen to The Plodcast Ep. 277 with Annie Garthwaite. UK Plodcast listeners can take adventage of a special subscription to BBC Countryfile Magazine where you can receive you first 3 issues for just £6. Head to www.ourmediashop.com/plodcast25 The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: [email protected]. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme tune was written and performed by Blair Dunlop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You've discovered a forgotten valley in the Blackdown Hills. After descending an ancient holloway, you arrive at a bridge over a chuckling stream. Wild daffodils are flowering along the path and emerald strands of water crowfoot sway in the clear, pure water below. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded by Fergus Collins, introduced by Hannah Tribe. Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Head to Lincolnshire in the east of England to explore an exciting new rewilding project. Hannah Dale is an artist and farmer who struggled to make a living from her 300 acres – so has decided to return the land to nature. Hannah has written about her experience in a new book: A Wilding Year (published by Batsford). Plodcast host Fergus visited to meet Hannah and some very special wild guests out on the farm. For more about Hannah Dale's art, visit www.wrendaledesigns.co.uk Afterwards, join the Plodcast team in the studio for a roundup of listener messages and questions. The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: [email protected]. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme tune was written and performed by Blair Dunlop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On a long, lonely walk across the windswept open lands of the Marlborough Downs, you come across a large, oval barrow partially hidden in a stand of trees. It is the Giant's Grave, a Bronze Age burial mound whose secrets are long forgotten. A ghostly breeze disturbs the spinney, a solitary crow calls, but the barrow broods in silence. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded by Fergus Collins, introduced by Hannah Tribe. Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do we spend too much time thinking and not enough time simply being? Life coach Dr Giles Croft reveals how being out in nature and learning to not take our thoughts too seriously can lead to deeper contentment and happiness. Plodcast host Fergus met Giles on the Monmouth-Brecon canal South Wales to explore why we overthink our lives... Find out more at www.gilespcroft.com The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: [email protected]. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme tune was written and performed by Blair Dunlop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After many days of wet, grey gloom, a hopeful sunny day hints at spring – and draws out the birds in a public garden deep in the Welsh borders. Great tits, nuthatches, goldcrests, robins and treecreepers are among the singers here – with a male chaffinch trying out his new songs, too. On the ground, drooping snowdrops are already giving way to brave crocuses, BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded by Fergus Collins, introduced by Hannah Tribe. Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Walk Hergest Ridge in Herefordshire on the Welsh border in the company of walker and writer Mike Parker who has spent years exploring the unique people, landscape and history of this borderland. With Plodcast host Fergus, Mike talks Offa's Dyke, the Welsh-English divide and the reason why these 'Marcherlands' are so attractive to those looking for somewhere off the beaten track. Mike Parker's book All the Wide Border: Wales, England and The Places Between is published by HarperNorth. The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: [email protected]. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme tune was written and performed by Blair Dunlop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The winter calls of tawny owls pierce the night in a Cumbrian woodland. The wind roars through the trees like a stormy sea. This is a special recording made by author Polly Atkin to celebrate her new book, The Company of Owls, which is a record of the nature around her home in Grasmere in the Lake District. Her closest and most vocal neigbours are the owls. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded by Polly Atkin, introduced by Hannah Tribe. Image by Getty Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's a bright, beautiful morning so join Plodcast host Fergus for a wander into the soft chalk hills known as the Marlborough Downs of Wiltshire to hunt for burial mounds. Known as barrows, these strange humps in the landscape are the graves of forgotten chieftains and warriors of ancient times and have a brooding mystery about them. Enjoy a late winter adventure into the Bronze Age – with wildlife encounters along the way. Afterwards, join the team in the Plodcast studio for a big round-up of listener messages and questions. The two organisations mentioned in the team discussion are: Coflein – The online catalogue of archaeology, buildings, industrial and maritime heritage in Wales https://coflein.gov.uk/en/ Archwilio – The historic environment record of Wales https://archwilio.org.uk/wp/ The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: [email protected]. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme tune was written and performed by Blair Dunlop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Swollen by winter rains, a tiny stream, known as a rill, swarms almost vertically down a cleft in the hillside. As you listen from a bridge above, the stream feels alive, its cleansing sound washing away all weariness. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded by Sarah Williams, introduced by Hannah Tribe. Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Enjoy a wander and deep dive into some of the big issues facing our wild world with zoologist and BBC tv presenter Gillian Burke during a beautiful walk along the Cornish coast near Falmouth. Gillian hosts her own podcast If I Ruled the World which explores big ideas and big themes, looking at the challenges facing the modern world and finding potential solutions. Listen on for a fascinating discussion. If I Ruled the World is available on all good podcast providers. The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: [email protected]. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme tune was written and performed by Blair Dunlop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Early morning on the farm and a song thrush's strident spring call rises above the chatter of starlings and jackdaws. Beautiful and haunting in the cool morning air, the clear notes herald warmer, longer days. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded by Fergus Collins, introduced by Hannah Tribe. Image by Getty Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join intrepid folk duo Ninebarrow (Jon Whitley and Jay Labouchardiere) for a Plodcast wander over Ballard Down to Old Harry Rocks on the coast of Dorset. Along the way, they sing and play some of their song to evoke landscape, nature and old legends. Pure, unmissable magic. See more of Ninebarrow on their Wandering Minstrels YouTube channel – and listen to their music on Spotify, Apple and other streaming services. The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: [email protected]. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme tune was written and performed by Blair Dunlop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's a bright morning on the Falmouth seafront after a week of rain and wind. The air is still, the sunshine warm, yet the sea is still full of storm energy and crashes on the shore, followed by a seethe of pebbles as the waves retreat. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded by Fergus Collins, introduced by Hannah Tribe. Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We climb a little-known hill in the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) called Allt yr Esgair to search for a mysterious tower lost in the woods. Who built it and why was it abandoned? Join us for a Plodcast of exploration, with wildlife encounters and signs of spring along the way. The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: [email protected]. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme tune was written and performed by Blair Dunlop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After three days of snow and deep cold, a westerly weather front has swept in – a warm breath to thaw the frozen landscape. You stop outdoors among chirruping redwings, transfixed by the steady drip of meltwater and falls of slush from barn roofs and hedgebanks. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded by Fergus Collins, introduced by Hannah Tribe. Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Poorly trained dogs can be a menace to wildlife and livestock – and are a major issue in the UK countryside. This week, host Fergus is joined by friend of the Plodcast James Fair and his dog Dakota to explore the issue. Dakota, James and Fergus spend a day with dog trainer extraordinaire Helen Merrett in the Gloucestershire countryside to discover the most effective methods for understanding and controlling your dog so that you can have enjoyable, stress-free walks. Helen Merrett is the owners of Just Paws – find out more at https://justpaws.co.uk The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: [email protected]. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme tune was written and performed by Blair Dunlop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's not quite a white Christmas but early in the New Year, the land is transformed by a thick layer of snow. You can't resist the joyful urge to be the first to make footprints across the sheep fields. Ahead, smoke rises from farm cottages – everyone else is snug indoors. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded by Fergus Collins, introduced by Hannah Tribe. Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Writer, angler and Plodcast regular Kevin Parr is your host this week, exploring the wild of the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire. Kev is on a quest for material for a mysterious new book and the object of his mission in Bowland is finally revealed in the studio with the Plodcast team at the end of the adventure. The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: [email protected]. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme tune was written and performed by Blair Dunlop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Overnight, temperatures fell sharply and you awake to fields made ghostly pale by frost. You put on your boots and shake off the cold with a tramp through the sheep fields accompanied by crows, redwings, ravens and, best still, the brooding calls of a distant stock dove. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded by Fergus Collins, introduced by Hannah Tribe. Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch approaches (24-26 January 2025), the Plodcast team of Fergus, Hannah, Jack and Lewis explore what birds are visiting their own very different patches. Check in to hear their tales and local dramas. And get involved in the Big Garden Birdwatch by visiting www.rspb.org.uk The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: [email protected]. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme tune was written and performed by Blair Dunlop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's bitterly cold outside but the fire is lit and crackling in the hearth. You sink into a favourite sofa and sip from a cup of hot chocolate – the gentle chatter of the fire providing all the company you need. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded by Annabel Ross, introduced by Hannah Tribe. Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Explore the murky world of fog and mist with Laura Pashby. Laura has devoted much of her adult life to experiencing how these strange weather phenomena change ourselves as much as our surroundings. Plodcast host Fergus Collins meets Laura at the mysterious hill fort of Uley Bury in the heart of the Cotswold Hills and discovers that there's a frightening modern-day story hidden in the fog. Chasing Fog: Finding Enchantment in a Cloud is published by Simon and Schuster Follow Laura Pashby on Instagram @circleofpines The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: [email protected]. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme tune was written and performed by Blair Dunlop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're on the south coast of Gower. You’re using a rocky outcrop as a perch to watch the tide come in. The scene is a wash of grey and the sunshine is as watery as the sea. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded and introduced by Hannah Tribe. Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join a quest in the little-visited no-man's land between Monmouthshire and Herefordshire to seek out a mysterious church built by the Knights Templar 800 years ago. Who were these warrior monks and what were they doing in this corner of the British countryside? And should we believe any of the modern legends about the Templars? As ever, there will be wildlife surprises along the way. The Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: [email protected]. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme music was written and performed by Blair Dunlop. Visit the Countryfile Magazine website: countryfile.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After a long roam across the vast mountains of the Bannau Brycheiniog, you stop to catch your breath. The timid chirps of starlings echo through farmland overlooking the misty, early morning valleys. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded by Lewis Dobbs, introduced by Hannah Tribe. Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Plodcast team of Fergus, Hannah, Jack and Lewis – with special guest Kevin Parr, attempt to climb a mountain in the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) with myths, wildlife and midwinter winter magic all the way to the summit. Have a very happy new year from all of us at the BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast – may it be filled with wild adventures – and Plodcasts! The Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: [email protected]. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme music was written and performed by Blair Dunlop. Visit the Countryfile Magazine website: countryfile.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You're walking up a shallow valley, smoky with mist, on the border between Wales and Herefordshire. Ravens and jackdaws rule the airwaves here while hungry sheep gather around in the hope that you might be the farmer with a bag of feed. In the hedge, a dunnock gently calls. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded by Fergus Collins, introduced by Hannah Tribe. Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's Christmas Eve and the Plodcast team of Hannah, Jack and Lewis have gathered at host Fergus' cottage on a farm in the Monmouthshire countryside. The fire is lit, the mulled wine is poured and guest Kevin Parr is about to deliver the infamous Plodcast Christmas Quiz. Plus, we take a look back at highlights from 2024. So pour a drink, grab paper and pen, make yourself comfortable and join the festivities. And from all the team, have a wonderful and merry Christmas. The Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: [email protected]. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme music was written and performed by Blair Dunlop. Visit the Countryfile Magazine website: countryfile.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's nearly Christmas, and you've escaped the preparations and the bustle to find a moment's peace on a short walk to your local woodland. In a tangled copse, a stream sings merrily, its waters cold and clear. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded by Fergus Collins, introduced by Hannah Tribe. Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The siege of Ludlow in Shropshire was one of the earliest skirmishes in the vicious 15th-century civil known as the Wars of the Roses. It was also home to Cecily, mother of two kings and protagonist of Annie Garthwaite’s celebrated novels about the period. Podcast host Fergus Collins meets Annie at the gates of Ludlow Castle to hear tales of betrayal and bloodshed - and the important, little-told stories of the powerful women at the heart of the action. Cecily and The King’s Mother by Annie Garthwaite are published by Penguin. The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: [email protected]. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme tune was written and performed by Blair Dunlop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When snow falls, all other sounds recede. All you can hear is the soft pattering and gentle hiss of millions of snowflakes falling onto the track ahead of you. For once, you stop to listen, to really listen, to the song of snow. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded by Fergus Collins, introduced by Hannah Tribe. Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Meet brothers Ben and Ethan who farm sheep and beef on the edge of Cardiff in harmony with nature. Annabel Ross is your host this week, learning how the farmers are making their land more welcoming to the local wildlife – and better for their livestock. The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: [email protected]. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme tune was written and performed by Blair Dunlop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After a cold night, the sun rises brightly in a brilliant blue sky. You take advantage, walking across the nearby fields, wellies swishing through the long, dewy grass. The low dawn light makes long shadows of your footprints. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded by Fergus Collins, introduced by Hannah Tribe. Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices