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 Plodcast344. A thrilling night-time quest to experience the great spring toad migration
It's night in the woods deep in the Cotswold Hills. Plodcast host Fergus joins friend and environmental writer James Fair to see if they can witness the great…
The PlodcastSound Escape 266. Relax to the dusk melodies of a male blackbird
As dusk falls and human activity finally slows in a small market town, a blackbird decides now's the time to release his latest album of lullabies. Slow…
The Plodcast343. Join the Plodcast team for a lazy day's fishing on the Kennet and Avon Canal
Join the Plodcast team for a new fishing adventure, this time on the Kennet and Avon Canal in Berkshire. Writer, angler and naturalist Kevin Parr joins Fergus…
The PlodcastSound Escape 265. Stirrings of spring on Llangorse Lake
A rare day of sun across the lake transforms late winter into a hint of spring. Canada geese stir and honk, a great white egret chitters overhead and excitable…
The Plodcast342. A journey through time, land and community with country writer Nicola Chester
Award-winning countryside writer Nicola Chester joins the Plodcast this week in her home village of Inkpen in Berkshire to talk about her new book, Ghosts of…
The PlodcastSound Escape 264. Take the afternoon off by pottering in an allotment
After a long day, green fingers are calling. Sat beside a quiet allotment, you take in the gentle breeze. Watching over the freshly sprouting veg and blooming…
The Plodcast341. Enjoy the thrill of coldwater swimming in midwinter in the Cotswolds
Could you go coldwater swimming in the depths of winter? James Fair attempts to do just that in lake deep in the Cotswolds. He joins his wife Louise and four…
The PlodcastSound Escape 263. Be lulled by the sounds of a 17th-century mill and water wheel in action
Down a windy track in a small valley at the very point where Herefordshire meets Wales, you find a watermill, restored and still working. As water from the…
The Plodcast340. Discover the healing power of wild plants with Brigit Anna McNeill
After serious childhood trauma and a high-octane but destructive life as a model, Brigit Anna McNeill found solace and healing in the company of wild plants –…
The PlodcastSound Escape 262. Be soothed by gentle rain and birdsong
Very little is stirring in the deep dark winter woodland. That is until you come to a wide clearing on the edge of the wood, with slumbering farmland beyond…
The Plodcast339. Hear the extraordinary stories of London's last gas lamplighters
Did you know that, even today, some of London's streets are lit by gas? Annabel Ross heading into the city's twilight zone to meet Aran Osman whose job it is…
The PlodcastSound Escape 261. Wander through a woodland listening to a stream's song
What's normally a gentle brook, winding through a peaceful woodland, has been transformed by many days of rain into a breathtaking torrent. You get your feet…
The Plodcast338. Discover the bizarre tale of the last battle fought on English soil - with writer Ian Breckon
Did you know that the last battle fought on English soil occurred in the early years of Queen Victoria – out in the Kent countryside? Historical novelist Ian…
The PlodcastSound Escape 260. Hear a lost sound of the countryside: the clattering mill
This week we're featuring a lost sound of the countryside – the curious melodies of clattering mills. These were wind-powered devices on tall poles that made a…
The Plodcast337. Head into the green lanes of Devon to discuss honesty boxes and mental health with writer Lucy Brazier
What is an honesty box? And how did it help writer Lucy Brazier understand her husband's serious mental health issues and save her marriage? And all this…
The PlodcastSound Escape 259. Enjoy the early morning crunch of footsteps in fresh snow
You awake to a strange silence, a deep calm. As you draw back the curtain, you are surprised to see a soft blanket of snow across the garden and beyond. This…
The Plodcast336. Come for a wander in a winter woodland - and then enjoy the Big Garden Birdwatch
This week, Plodcast host Fergus sets out to find signs of spring in seldom-visited woodland in south Monmouthshire. Listen on for a mindful Plodcast full of…
The PlodcastSound Escape 258. Wild encounters and roaring waves on the Sussex coast
The pipes and flutes of curlews, oystercatchers and redshanks rise occasionally above the rush and roar of breakers on this little visited haven along the…
The Plodcast335. Meet the rebel wilding lord trying to build the WildKingdom
Hugh Crossley aka Lord Somerleyton has rewilded large parts of his estate on the Norfolk-Suffolk border. After initial success spreading his message across…
The PlodcastSound Escape 257. Hear a garden come alive with birdsong as it is warmed by the winter sun
After several days of intense cold deep in the Sussex countryside, a bright, warmer morning encourages a procession of birds to move through the garden in…
The Plodcast334. Talking curlews and wild musical inspiration with singer-songwriter Merlyn Driver
Head to the Severn Estuary to meets curlews and other wild waterbirds in the company of singer-songwriter Merlyn Driver. Merlyn's music draws on nature and…
The PlodcastSound Escape 256. The winter song of the River Severn, deep in the heart of Wales
Just a few miles from its source, the River Severn is already a dashing, tumbling river, full of youthful promise and energy. You meet it while walking in a…
The Plodcast333. Prepare for the Big Garden Birdwatch with a walk in a special woodland with the RSPB's James Robinson
The RSPB's annual Big Garden Birdwatch is one of the world's biggest citizen science projects and provides incredible insights into the populations of our…
The PlodcastSound Escape 255. A walk through a winter woodland, footsteps hushed by fallen leaves
It's bright and sunny but it's an illusion: a gale is swirling through the treetops, the aftermath of last night's storm. Shielded among the trees, you enjoy a…
The Plodcast332. Blow off the cobwebs with a hike into the hills to find the legendary Chartists' Cave
Happy New Year and welcome to the first Plodcast of 2026. The Plodcast is a weekly adventure in the British countryside brought to you by BBC Countryfile…
The PlodcastSound Escape 254. Wake up to gentle birdsong in a sleepy village
It's early morning and the winter's frost is receding as you step out into the brisk air. The low coos of wood pigeons greet you as you gaze at the mellow pink…
The Plodcast331. Enjoy an epic starling murmuration on the Somerset Levels with the Plodcast team
A very special Plodcast to end 2025. The Plodcast team of Fergus, Hannah, Kev, Jack and Lewis head to the Somerset Levels in the hope of witnesses and…
The PlodcastSound Escape 253. Hear the voices of a million starlings going to roost
Dusk is imminent and you're standing on a raised path, an old abandoned railway line through the marshes. For the past 30 minutes vast uncountable flocks of…
The Plodcast330. It's the Plodcast Christmas Special and team quiz 2025!
Join the Plodcast team of Fergus, Hannah, Jack and Lewis – with special guest and quiz master Kevin Parr. As well as tackling Kev's now legendary Plodcast…
The PlodcastSound Escape 252. Enjoy sunshine and peace along the seawall of the Bristol Channel
After climbing a few steps you're atop the sea wall and the vast skies and broad seascape of the Bristol Channel open before you. You're looking south from…
The Plodcast329. Making a spun-iron frying pan at a family-run foundry in Shropshire
Plodcast host Fergus heads to Cleobury Mortimer in deeply rural Shropshire to visit the Netherton Foundry. Here, Neil and Sue Currie and their team make…
The PlodcastSound Escape 251. Hear the song of the wind on the first icy morning of winter
A cold front has swept down from the north overnight but it's a bright morning over the frosty marshes. A breeze pushes ripples across a lagoon of deepest blue…
The Plodcast328. Hunting for mushrooms - and legendary animals - with Kevin Parr
Plodcast regular Kevin Parr joins host Fergus Collins for a charming mushroom hunting walk in a wooded Welsh valley. Along the way, as the foraging basket with…
The PlodcastSound Escape 250. Swollen by days of rain, the stream has a new song
After 36 hours of rain, the town floods and then the waters recede, surging down brooks such as this. You pause on a bridge above, hearing a stranger, bolder…
The Plodcast327. Venture out onto the wild Essex marshes with author Michael J Warren
This week, we're heading to the bleakly beautiful Essex marshes to meet historian and birder Michael J Warren – and thousands of waders and wildfowl in this…
The PlodcastSound Escape 249. The haunting calls of waders and wild geese on forgotten Essex coast
Deep in the Essex Marshes, you find solitude on a path that skirts marsh and lagoon. But you're not entirely alone – from the creeks and open water the fluting…
The Plodcast326. Join the Plodcast team for a round up of listener emails and nature chat
Join the Plodcast team of Fergus, Hannah, Jack and Lewis in a wild corner of the centre of Bristol for a long-awaited Plodchat – a round-up of our nature…
The PlodcastSound Escape 248. Soft sounds of autumn on the edge of the saltmarsh
It's a still autumn morning and you've headed to the sea wall along the edge of the saltmarsh. A gentle rain falls as robins sing in the scrub on the landward…
The Plodcast325. Roam a Hampshire woodland in search of rare hazel dormice
This week we're in Hampshire, looking for dormice. These tiny, charming little mammals are hard to find at the best of times but numbers have been declining…
The PlodcastSound Escape 247. A walk through autumn leaves on an ancient earthwork
A path winds on before you, running along the top of an ancient earthwork constructed over a 1000 years ago. To the west, the land falls away into a deep river…
The Plodcast324. Enjoy a mindful walk along the mighty earthwork running through the Welsh Borders known as Offa's Dyke
From the end of Saxon England last week, we head to the height of Saxon power in Mercia and the reign of King Offa (757-796). Plodcast host Fergus takes a walk…
The PlodcastSound Escape 246. Kingfisher calls and dipper song on the rushing river
You've wandered down to the river to listen to its gentle song – but what's that strange birdsong? A metallic chirruping from the far bank... it's a dipper…
The Plodcast323. The Plodcast meets Norman and Saxon warriors at the Battle of Hastings
Witness the reenactment of the Battle of Hastings – on the very site in Sussex where the future of England was changed forever in 1066. English Heritage…
The PlodcastSound Escape 245. Listen to the whispering reedbed as the sun sets over the wetland
A golden autumn sun is dropping behind the hills. A soft wind rides down from the uplands, over the lake and stirs the reedbed. Among the whispers carried on…
The Plodcast322. Discover the history of England in 25 poems - with Catherine Clarke
Explore the history and identity of England from Saxon times to the modern day through 25 poems. Host Annabel Ross meets author Catherine Clarke in the heart…
The PlodcastSound Escape 244. Hear the song of the River Usk in Autumn
It's early in the morning and the human world is awake and bustling. But down by the river you pause to watch the water glide over its stony bed and listen as…
The Plodcast321. Secrets of the darkness on a night walk with Andy Flack
As the evenings draw in, we're heading out with environmental historian Dr Andrew Flack to experience how the night change our sensory perception of the world…
The PlodcastSound Escape 243. The sounds of an English churchyard in early autumn
You've wondered down a country lane to find a small, ancient church with a square tower. Crumbling gravestones covered in moss or lichen lean here and there in…
The Plodcast320. Wander the beaches of North Cornwall with artist Sarah Adams
In this episode, we head back to high summer and the North Cornwall coast. Plodcast host Fergus takes a beach walk with artist Sarah Adams. Venturing into…
The PlodcastSound Escape 242. Footsteps though a beechwood full of fungi
We're walking in beechwoods in a vale high up in the Welsh hills. Leaves are beginning to fall but the sound beneath your feet is the faint rustle of last…
The Plodcast319. Why are wallabies living wild on the Isle of Man? The Plodcast investigates
The Plodcast has learned that hundreds wallabies are living wild on the Isle of Man? How did these Australian marsupials get there and what impact are they…
The PlodcastSound Escape 241. Take a breather overlooking Exmoor's stunning coastline
With the sun high on a cloudless day, you listen to the rippling waves of the Exmoor coast. The gentle foam trickles over deep red seaweed and smoothed rocks…
The Plodcast318. Discover the power of old ballads with Amy Jeffs on a walk along an enchanted stream
A wonderful Plodcast walk this week – in Vallis Vale in the Mendip Hills. Plodcast host Fergus joins artist, historian and musician Amy Jeffs on a late summer…
The PlodcastSound Escape 240. Wind down to the evening song of a rural farm
As the day draws to a close, the cattle gather for their night-time routine, and the birds sing their final calls of the day. The pink-and-orange sunlight…
The Plodcast317. Haunting poetry and crashing waves on the Cornish coast with poet Katrina Naomi
The Plodcast heads to Penzance in Cornwall this week to hear the haunting poetry of Katrina Naomi. Katrina met Plodcast host Fergus on a beach near the town to…
The PlodcastSound Escape 239. Listen to the night-time snuffles of a garden hedgehog
Just as you're closing the back door as dusk falls, you hear a rustling in from the end of the garden. Is it a cat or a rat? No, it's a hedgehog foraging for…
The Plodcast316. Inspiring conservation stories from the Global Birdfair 2025
This week we return to the Global Birdfair, held in summer at Rutland every year. Hear two inspiring conservation stories: the first interview is with…
The PlodcastSound Escape 238. Pause on a bridge over a late summer stream
Deep in a cool woodland, you hear the rumour of a stream long before you see it. A small stone bridge crosses the water, just above a small waterfall. It's the…
The Plodcast315. Relax with a dreamy day's fishing beside a sleepy Somerset lake
Let the Plodcast take you to a peaceful lake deep in the Somerset countryside. Lily pads float in margins, dragonflies buzz past and kingfisher makes regular…
The PlodcastSound Escape 237: Soak in the sounds of rushing rain through the drainpipes
We're listening to the rain. Its been dry for weeks, and this shower feels like its washing the world clean. The water runs down the roofs and gurgles in the…