Shows / Ramblings
Ramblings
Clare Balding and guests share inspiring conversations while walking in the great outdoors.
Fresh air and nature, wonderful views and uplifting chat, each week Clare hikes in a different part of our glorious countryside. Walking side by side is the perfect way to cover a huge range of subjects: literature, art, wildlife, nature, taking on personal or physical challenges, dealing with grief, confronting preconceptions about the kind of people who love to ramble.
The conversations are as varied…
Episodes
- Ramblings
Overton Hill, The Ridgeway
Clare Balding joins Multiple sclerosis sufferer, Jo Fielder, on a training walk, just before she attempted to cover the entire length of the Ridgeway in just…
- Ramblings
Listeners' Walks: Blaenau Ffestiniog
In this series of Ramblings, Clare Balding is walking with people or in places recommended by listeners. Eryl Davies wrote to the programme suggesting a walk…
- Ramblings
Listeners' Walks: Cornwall
Clare Balding takes the Cornish coastal path from Constantine Bay to Harlyn, in the company of two women for whom walking has been the cement in their…
- Ramblings
The Nidderdale Way: Brimham Rocks to Pateley Bridge
Clare Balding sadly says goodbye to The Nidderdale Way as she embarks on the last leg of this fifty three mile circular walking route. Her guides for the day…
- Ramblings
The Nidderdale Way: Birstwith to Thornton Moor
Clare Balding nears the end of her walk along The Nidderdale Way, a fifty three mile route, that starts and finishes in Pateley Bridge. Today she walks the…
- Ramblings
The Nidderdale Way: Bewerley to Dacre Banks
Clare Balding is walking The Nidderdale Way in North Yorkshire for this series and here she completes the fourth leg of the route from Bewerley to Dacre Banks…
- Ramblings
The Nidderdale Way: Gouthwaite to Bewerley
Clare Balding is walking the whole of The Nidderdale Way, a circular fifty three mile walking route in North Yorkshire. In this edition she walks from…
- Ramblings
The Nidderdale Way: Scar House Reservoir to Ramsgill
Clare Balding embarks on the second leg of the Nidderdale Way , a 53 mile circular walk that begins and ends in the North Yorkshire town of Pateley Bridge…
- Ramblings
The Nidderdale Way: Pateley Bridge to Scar House Reservoir
In this series Clare Balding will walk the Nidderdale Way, a spectacular fifty- three mile route in North Yorkshire, encircling the valley of the River Nidd…
- Ramblings
Mount Edgcumbe, Plymouth
Clare Balding joins some of the members of START - Students and Refugees Together, to explore some of the beautiful countryside in easy access of Plymouth…
- Ramblings
Isaac's Tea Trail, Allendale
Clare Balding returns to her favourite county, Northumberland, to walk part of Isaac's Tea Trail, a thirty-six mile (58km) circular route, starting from…
- Ramblings
Hampshire Jane Austen
Clare Balding walks in the footsteps of Jane Austen as she takes a path regularly taken by Jane, from her home in Chawton, now a museum, to Farringdon, to…
- Ramblings
Clwyd Hillforts
Clare Balding heads for the Clwyd Hills in North Wales as she joins the county's Archaeologist, Fiona Gale, to find out more about the many Iron Age hill forts…
- Ramblings
Great Hucklow, Derbyshire
Clare Balding is in the Derbyshire Peak District to meet a group of women who call themselves the Hucklow Howlers. They've been walking and running together…
- Ramblings
Derrigimlagh, Ireland
Clare Balding explores a new pathway just outside Clifden in County Galway. This walking route, across the Derrigimlagh Bog, is a mosaic of tiny lakes and peat…
- Ramblings
The Doolough Famine Walk, County Mayo
Clare Balding travels to Ireland, County Mayo, to retrace the steps of those who walked from Louisburg to Delphi, in 1849 at the height of the potato famine…
- Ramblings
Suffolk with Geoff Nicholson
Clare Balding walks in Suffolk with the writer Geoff Nicholson. They talk of the history of walking, of flaneurs, pedestrianism and psychogeography. Geoff has…
- Ramblings
The South Downs Way
Clare Balding walks the The South Downs, from Bo Peep to Alfriston, in the company of writers June Goodfield and Lynne Truss. They've both been involved in a…
- Ramblings
Ripon to Ripley
Clare Balding marks the eightieth anniversary of the Jarrow crusade, when two hundred men walked from Tyneside to London to petition the British government to…
- Ramblings
Hebden Bridge
Clare Balding continues her series of talking to, or about, those who have a real passion for walking. As a teacher, heavily involved with the Duke of…
- Ramblings
The Pilgrims Way
Clare Balding explores part of The Pilgrims Way in the company of Canon Clare Edwards, who, as a member of the clergy at Canterbury Cathedral has the job of…
- Ramblings
Passionate Walkers: David Nicholls
In this new series of Ramblings, Clare Balding talks to those for whom walking is more than a leisure activity but a passion that's vital to their lives. In…
- Ramblings
Northumberland: Bothy Bagging
Clare Balding meets Phoebe Smith, an expert in planning long walks and bagging bothies.
- Ramblings
The Cotswold Way
Clare Balding joins Graham Hoyland and his partner, Gina Waggott, as they retrace the steps they took in 2015 along the Cotswold Way as part of their three…
- Ramblings
Severn Way with Lucy Newcombe
Clare Balding continues this series of epic walks by meeting up with a retired RAF officer, Lucy Newcombe, who started walking round the coast of Britain last…
- Ramblings
Wayfarers Walk with Nigel Clifford
Clare Balding and the head of Ordnance Survey, Nigel Clifford walk along Wayfarers Walk from Coombe Gibbet to Highclere, on the Berkshire, Hampshire Border. In…
- Ramblings
The Essex Way
Clare Balding continues her series exploring epic walks, by joining four women as they take their final training walk before they set off to complete the…
- Ramblings
Glyndwr's Way with Ursula Martin
Clare Balding gets serious in this new series of Ramblings as she discovers what it takes to be a more adventurous walker. Today she joins Ursula Martin who…
- Ramblings
Isle of Dogs
An unusual urban walk to finish the series: Clare Balding is in London on the Isle of Dogs for a ramble along the banks of the River Thames. It's not a true…
- Ramblings
Eyam, Derbyshire
Clare Balding walks to Eyam this week - the Derbyshire village best known for its heroic approach to the bubonic plague in the 17th century. She rambles along…
- Ramblings
Oxfordshire: In Memory of Catherine
Clare Balding joins a group of women in Oxfordshire, who meet every year to remember their friend Catherine, who died of breast cancer at forty-five. Some in…
- Ramblings
Trent, Dorset
Clare joins a lively primary school walking club as they ramble through the Dorset countryside. Pupils, teachers, local farmers and parents join the group…
- Ramblings
Samaritans
Clare Balding walks from the famous dragon at Bures on the Essex/Suffolk border to Assington in Suffolk. Joining her is a group of volunteers from the…
- Ramblings
Loughrigg Fell - Simon Ingram
Clare Balding explores Loughrigg Fell, in Cumbria with the writer and journalist, Simon Ingram. With all the passion of a convert, he explains to Clare how he…
- Ramblings
Walking with a Purpose: The Surrey Hills
Clare Balding joins Jenni Williams and her disabled three year old daughter, Eve, as they take their daily walk in the Surrey Hills. These walks are the…
- Ramblings
Artists' Ways - North Somerset
Clare Balding walks with Carolyn Savidge in the final programme of this series which has been themed Artists' Ways. In the first programme she walked with an…
- Ramblings
Artists' Ways - Wiltshire
Clare Balding has been exploring Artists' Ways in this series of Ramblings. This week she walks with Matthew Hopwood whose project 'A Human Love Story' takes…
- Ramblings
Nun Appleton House, North Yorkshire
Clare Balding goes in search of Nun Appleton House in North Yorkshire, the subject of one of Andrew Marvells most famous poems. She's accompanied by…
RamblingsArtists' Ways - Falkirk
Clare Balding walks along the Forth and Clyde canal to the spectacular Kelpies - 30 metre high statues of horses' heads, modelled on Clydesdales. Walking with…
- Ramblings
Windsor Great Park with Bill Bryson
Clare Balding heads out across Windsor Great Park in the company of writer and prolific walker, Bill Bryson. He explains how he developed a passion for…
- Ramblings
Artists Ways: Louise Ann Wilson, Warnscale
Clare Balding discovers the essential role walking plays in contemporary artist's work. In this programme she walks with Louise Ann Wilson, a sceneographer…
- Ramblings
The Red Ramblers in Dorset
Clare Balding joins The Red Ramblers, members of the local Labour party, who instead of being downhearted after the general election result, are glad to be…
- Ramblings
The Malvern Hills
Clare Balding joins Team Zulu, a group of walkers, led by Tarquin Shaw- Young, who prepare for long distance charity walks by training on the majestic Malvern…
- Ramblings
Lyke Wake Walk
Clare Balding undertakes a section of the Lyke Wake Walk on the North York Moors. The route was originally devised sixty years ago by a local farmer who issued…
- Ramblings
Old Birds, Pegsdon Hills
Clare Balding walks in the Pegsdon Hills, Bedfordshire, with a group of female birders who call themselves the 'Old Birds'. The group initially bonded over…
- Ramblings
Royal Greenwich Park
In the first of a new series of Ramblings, Clare Balding meets a group of parents who regularly share uplifting walks in Royal Greenwich Park. The walkers each…
- Ramblings
Derbyshire - Family Walk
Clare Balding travels to Derbyshire this week to ramble with a group of families who gather once a month for a long walk and a pub lunch. Paul Cotton, along…
- Ramblings
Nordic Walking in Bramcote Park, Nottingham
Clare Balding takes a lesson in Nordic Walking as she joins national coach, Catherine Hughes, in one of her classes in Bramcote Park in Nottingham. Some of…
- Ramblings
Hertfordshire - Bell-Ringers
The theme of this series of Ramblings is 'bonding' and this week Clare walks with a group who bond, not just through walking, but through their shared passion…
- Ramblings
Philip Marsden, Truro, Cornwall
Clare Balding walks with the writer Philip Marsden from his home near the banks of the River Fal out to the Cornish coastal path. Clare and Philip discuss why…
- Ramblings
Cardiac Walkers
In today's programme Clare Balding walks with a group of medics who have all suffered - as they put it - a 'cardiac event'. With good humour and no real…
- Ramblings
Bonding Walks: Stiperstones, Shropshire
In this new series of Ramblings, Clare Balding explores the way walking can help us bond with other people, the countryside and our history. In this first…
- Ramblings
The Dales Way, Part Six
Clare Balding enjoys the final leg of The Dales Way in the company of one of the men who designed it, Colin Spearman. Colin, joined by his wife Fleur, explains…
- Ramblings
The Dales Way, Part Five
Clare Balding is now really into her stride as she comes close to the end of her journey along The Dales Way, walking from Dent to Sedbergh. The route is one…
- Ramblings
The Dales Way, Part Four
Clare Balding reaches one of the most beautiful stretches of the Dales Way, setting out from Buckden to Beckermonds, in the company of the Chairman of the Long…
- Ramblings
The Dales Way, Part Three
Clare Balding continues her journey along The Dales Way, hiking from Grassington to Kettlewell in the company of two experienced long distance walkers, Aileen…
- Ramblings
The Dales Way, Part Two
Clare Balding embarks on the second leg of her journey along The Dales Way, one of England's most loved long distance walking paths. This week she walks from…
- Ramblings
The Dales Way, Part One
Clare Balding embarks on her first leg of The Dales Way, in the company of Sarah Howcroft. Sarah, an enthusiastic walker and climber for many years, along with…
- Ramblings
The Diamond Ramblers, Otterton
Clare Balding has a sparkling day out joining The Diamond Ramblers for a circular walk from the South Devon village of Otterton. The group came together after…