Shows / The Plodcast
The Plodcast
BBC Countryfile Magazine brings you The Plodcast - a weekly escape to the British countryside with fascinating guests and the wonders of the great outdoors. Enjoy a new escape into the countryside every Tuesday and wind down with our Sound Escapes on a Friday. Find out more about us at www.countryfile.com/podcast Subscribe to the print version of BBC Countryfile Magazine at https://www.ourmediashop.com/bbc-countryfile-magazine-wmonx25
Episodes
The Plodcast77. Wisdom, wizards and wise-cracks with Detectorists and Horrible Histories star Simon Farnaby
Horrible Histories, Ghosts and Detectorists star Simon Farnaby talks to Maria Hodson about his new book for children – where a Dark Age wizard turns up in the…
The Plodcast76. Be thrilled and chilled with folk tales for Halloween on a dusk walk in Dorset
Storyteller Martin Maudsley takes a walk along Blood Lane and other ancient Dorset tracks telling tales old and new that celebrate the countryside and its…
The Plodcast75. Rewilding over breakfast in the Black Mountains with hunter-naturalist Rob Yorke
The Black Mountains are the northern, often overlooked corner of Brecon Beacons National Park in south-east Wales – a land of seldom visited peaks and hidden…
The Plodcast74. A friendly and fascinating chat with nature writer Helen Macdonald about her new book Vesper Flights
Nature writer Helen Macdonald is best known for her critically acclaimed book: H is for Hawk. While this award-winning tome focuses on Helen's efforts to train…
The Plodcast73. Meet the amazing Birdgirl – Mya-Rose Craig – for a birding adventure in Somerset
Mya-Rose Craig – aka Birdgirl – is rapidly become one of Britain's leading environmental campaigners and an eloquent and persuasive voice for nature and for…
The Plodcast72. Honey buzzards in a Welsh forest – a truly special encounter to start the new season of Plodcasts!
Welcome to episode 1 of season 7 of the BBC Countryfile Magazine plodcast – and meet the honey buzzards in a secret forest in South Wales. Honey buzzards are…
The PlodcastNature, wild walks and rural magic! Find out what's coming up in season 7 of the BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast
From honey buzzards to Dark Age wizards and Napoleonic battles to the incredible Birdgirl, Season 7 of the Plodcast begins this autumn with 12 brand new…
The Plodcast71. A celebration of the common toad on the River Usk in Monmouthshire
In the final episode of series 6, we return to spring on the beautiful River Usk to celebrate the marvellous common toad – our cleverest amphibian. Follow…
The Plodcast70. Exploring the amazing life of a Hampshire chalk stream with Dr George McGavin
Wade up the Candover Brook in Hampshire in the company of insect expert George McGavin and Zam Baring of the Wessex River Trust. Meet the hidden life of this…
The Plodcast69. Oystercatchers in the rye – the poetry of a Scottish island with Kenneth Steven
Enjoy a summer morning on the island of Seil in the company of poet Kenneth Steven and a chorus of oystercatchers. Kenneth reveals the wild history of his home…
The Plodcast68. Finding asylum in nature: Lucy Jones on why our minds, hearts and bodies need wildness
Lucy Jones is the author of Losing Eden, a book the exploring the science behind why we need nature in our lives – and what happens to us when we lose contact…
The Plodcast67. Churring nightjars – an eerie adventure on a Welsh hill at dusk
Enter the strange world of the nightjar in a dusk adventure on a secret Welsh hillside. Fergus Collins meets ornithologist Steve Roberts and listens to the…
The Plodcast66. The delight and mystery of rural churches with historian Emma Wells
Medieval historian Dr Emma Wells reveals the secrets and mysteries hidden in our rural chapels and churchyards. She talks about their importance in the history…
The Plodcast65. On the trail of an assassin in the ancient holloways of Dorset
We join storyteller Martin Maudsley in the ancient lanes of Dorset tracing in the footsteps and the hideout of The Rogue Male – the title character of the…
The Plodcast64. Cuckoos on Dartmoor – and why it's possible to farm with wildlife and make money
In this episode we head to Dartmoor to wander through landscapes where local farmers have worked tirelessly to bring wildlife back to their fields and hills…
The Plodcast63. Head to a poet's wild retreat on an enchanting Hebridean island
Enjoy a peaceful retreat to the gentle island of Seil in the Inner Hebrides in the genial company of Scottish poet Kenneth Steven. Hear Kenneth's reflections…
The Plodcast62. A gentle morning's ramble with rabbits and wood warblers in the Brecon Beacons
Take a May-time wander with editor Fergus Collins to a distant unexplored woodland – meet the local rabbit populations along the way, listen to a chorus of…
The Plodcast61. Take a hedgerow safari with TV naturalist Dr George McGavin
Join TV naturalist Dr George McGavin as he explore the incredible life along a hedgerow near his home in Berkshire. Known for his regular slots on the One Show…
The Plodcast60. Nightingales at dawn in Dorset – magical, beautiful and moving
Kevin Parr heads to a secret common and woodland in Dorset to at the crack of dawn to hear Britain's most famous songster – the increasingly scarce…
The Plodcast59. Delightful tales of red squirrels, sparrows and classic British countryside
Do red squirrels make little boats to sail on? Nature writers of the 19th century thought so. In this episode, writer Caroline Greene explores some of the…
- The Plodcast
58. Walk the River Tame in Manchester to see a river restored to glorious life
Once a heavily polluted river, running though heavily industrialised landscapes, the River Tame is being restored from its source on the Pennine moors along…
The Plodcast57. Finding edible and healing plants with a modern herbalist in Bristol
Explore a forgotten forest on the edge of Bristol in the company of herbalist Maria Fernandez Garcia. Learn about the exciting flavours and healing powers of…
The Plodcast56. A wild wander with cuckoos and bluebells – on Sugar Loaf mountain
Enjoy the wild magic of a spring morning walk deep into ancient bluebell woods with cuckoos, redstarts, pied flycatchers and wood warblers. Plus a supporting…
The Plodcast55. Journey into spring on Exmoor with nature writer Tim Dee
Meet acclaimed author, naturalist and broadcaster Tim Dee. At this time of year, the heart of springtime in Britain, Tim would normally be exploring his…
The Plodcast54. A gentle nature ramble in rural Dorset – with a magnificent dawn chorus
We head to Dorset this episode with nature writer and angler Kevin Parr to hear a magnificent dawn chorus in his village, tucked away in the hills. Kevin then…
The Plodcast53. Climb into the Brecon Beacons and wander springtime oak woods
Climb a hill into the heart of the Brecon Beacons to encounter sparrowhawks, treecreepers and tangled oak woods full of mystery. Join Fergus Collins for a…
The Plodcast52. Explore the wild ways of Wessex and meet a gentle rural rogue – in a classic book of the countryside
Settle down for a beautiful reading from The Amateur Poacher by Richard Jefferies and go back in time to the Wiltshire downs of the late 19th century. Follow…
The Plodcast51. Visit an inspiring community farm near Bristol
Learn about The Community Farm at Chew Magna near Bristol and how it works to create a sustainable, nature friendly farming business that makes money and…
The Plodcast50. A gentle springtime stroll along a stream in Monmouthshire
Listen to delightful birdsong at the spring equinox. Fergus Collins wanders along a winding stream through a woodland in his homeland of Monmouthshire picking…
The Plodcast49. Celebrate spring and the wonderful song of the woodlark on Chobham Common in Surrey
Recorded before the current lockdowns due to Coronavirus, this podcast allows you to take a wild wander across the heathland of Chobham Common in Surrey to…
The Plodcast48. Enjoy a marvellous otter adventure in Shetland
Otters are elusive, elegant fish hunters but are becoming more common across the UK. But in Shetland, they are seen commonly all round the coast so naturalist…
The Plodcast47. National Park special: what does the future hold?
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…
The Plodcast46. Take a pilgrimage to an ancient shrine in a remote Welsh valley
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…
The Plodcast45. A delightful adventure searching for rare truffles deep in the woods
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 Plodcast44. The quest to find the true source of the Thames continues…
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…
The Plodcast43. Search for the true source of the River Thames – a mystery adventure part 1
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…
The Plodcast42. On the trail of killer whales in Shetland
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…
The Plodcast41. Escape to south Devon in the company of broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby
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…
The Plodcast40. A delightful chat about natural history and fly fishing in the Peak District
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…
The Plodcast39. Should we eat more game? A fascinating discussion at stunning Stourhead in Wiltshire
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…
The Plodcast38. Take a stunning clifftop walk along the Glamorgan Coast
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…
The PlodcastSeason 4 of the BBC Countryfile Magazine Podcast is coming soon!
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…
The Plodcast37. It's the Christmas special – our round up of the best of 2019!
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…
The Plodcast36. A tranquil ramble along the River Usk in autumn
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…
The Plodcast35. Wander the Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall with Tim Smit
Explore the wonderful Lost Gardens of Heligan with its finder and restorer Tim Smit (who also established the Eden Project). Prepare yourself for some…
The Plodcast34. Spend a night on a remote Shetland island listening to seabirds
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…
The Plodcast33. Find tranquility with a mindful autumn walk in the Forest of Dean
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…
The Plodcast32. Relax with a Cotswold wildlife ramble and hear how wind and solar may provide all of the UK's future energy needs
Take an autumnal ramble with Simon Pickering, naturalist and ecological advisor to the green energy company Ecotricity. As we wander through restored…
The Plodcast31. Take a woodland walk to learn bushcraft, tracking and survival skills in the National Forest
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…
The Plodcast30. Explore Bear Wood near Bristol, where wolves, lynx AND bears roam an ancient woodland
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…
The Plodcast29. Find inner calm with green woodworker Peter Wood in the National Forest
Peter Wood creates beautiful furniture from natural materials using traditional skills and tools. Our own Eleanor Rosamund Barraclough joins him at the Timber…
The Plodcast28. Meet the local vicar who saved the town of Whaley Bridge from a bursting dam
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…
The Plodcast27. Digging for ancient relics in the mountains of West Wales
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…
The Plodcast26. Can we manage our woodlands without machines? Meet the horse-logger and his four-legged sidekick
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…
The Plodcast25. Enter the mysterious world of the river with film-maker Jack Perks
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…
The PlodcastSeason 3 is coming: trailer!
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…
The Plodcast24. A delightful chat with comedian Paul Whitehouse about his new fishing series with Bob Mortimer
Gone Fishing with Mortimer and Whitehouse was a surprise hit in 2017 – and now they're back for a second series to discuss life, death… and fish. Paul…
The Plodcast23. Discover the glorious sounds of an English summer on Martin Down in Hampshire
Is Martin Down on the Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset border the best nature reserve in England for spring and summer wildlife? Editor Fergus Collins thinks so –…
The Plodcast22. Exploring the beaches of north Somerset and tackling the menace of litter
The Countryfile Magazine team head out to the coast at Clevedon in North Somerset to tackle the menace of litter and help launch the litter heroes campaign led…
The Plodcast21. Take a Lake District walk with Dave Willis to discover the art of outdoors photography
High on a Lake District peak, outdoors photographer Dave Willis discusses what makes a great photograph, tips for improving your own shots of the countryside…