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 Plodcast166. Meet puffins, guillemots and skuas on the seabird sanctuary of Handa Island
In this episode podcast host Fergus Collins heads to a wild island off the coast of Scotland. Called Handa, it is managed entirely for wildlife by the Scottish…
The PlodcastSound Escape 84: a mellow moment beside a sleepy Somerset canal
It's a lazy September afternoon on a Somerset canal. You've found an enchanted place to rest beside a bridge – where a robin's wistful song sweetens the…
The Plodcast165. Wandering among wildflowers with botanist Leif Bersweden
Welcome to a new season of mindful escapes into the green outdoors in search of wildlife and wild people. As well as heading out into beautiful landscapes as…
The PlodcastSound Escape 83: relax to enchanting robin song beside a Welsh stream
Deep in a wooded cwm in Powys, there’s a spot down by the brook, half in the trees, half out, where the sunlight falls in ribbons onto the water. You go to it…
The PlodcastWe preview season 14 – mindful rambles in nature
Season 14 of the Plodcast is all about mindful explorations of wild places – so you can get close to nature and feel like you're walking in wild places, even…
The PlodcastSound Escape 82: soothing sounds of waves and seabirds in Anglesey
It's early morning in a secretive bay on northern Anglesey. You're walking on a shingle bank that separates a serene, reed-fringed lagoon from the restless…
The Plodcast164. How a gin maker has created a wildlife haven
We return to gin makers Warners in the Northamptonshire countryside to roam the gardens and grounds with conservation and sustainability officer Johnny Easter…
The PlodcastSound Escape 81: the chilling night-time lullaby of the nightjar
It's a sultry summer's night on a lowland heath in southern England. A warm waft of heather and the gentle chirrup of a cricket break the stillness. And then…
The Plodcast163. Discover the secrets for making great gin
Head deep into the Northamptonshire countryside to visit the Warners Gin distillery near Rothwell, Northamptonshire. Warner’s Gin was set up by Tom and Tina…
The PlodcastSound Escape 80: the curious and creepy calls of pipistrelle bats
You're in Dorset and it's dusk beside a lily-strewn tench pool. The light fades, moths begin to flutter and the martins and swallows cede the sky to the dance…
The Plodcast162. Sample the wildlife and wine in an organic vineyard in Kent
Head to the garden of England – the country of Kent – to visit family run Terlingham vineyard. Jackie Wilkes only moved to the UK from South Africa in 2007 but…
The PlodcastSound Escape 79: take time to appreciate the crackle of a camp fire
It's a warm summer's evening and after a tiring day you relax by the crackling campfire. The damp wood from the previous day's storm sizzles from the heat and…
The Plodcast161. Can cattle save the planet?
Film-maker Peter Byck (left) reveals how cattle can be farmed to enhance the soil and biodiversity – and offer solutions to climate change. Annabel Ross…
The PlodcastSound Escape 78: the satisfying patter of rain on a tent – while you're snug inside
The two-day spell of rain is reaching its conclusion. You've settled in your tent for the night listening to the final drops of rain bounce off the top of the…
The Plodcast160. Join a wild bee rescue mission near the New Forest
In this extraordinary episode, we head to the edge of the New Forest to meet Debs 'Totty' Cruttenden – a self taught beekeeper who rescues wild swarms of…
The PlodcastSound Escape 77: the gentle rustle of summer wind through a cornfield
High above the summertime bustle of Pembrokeshire’s south coast, the lanes are quiet. No people here, just wind and hedge and crops for miles. It’s now noon…
The Plodcast159. An inspiring walk and talk with Wilfred Emmanuel Jones aka The Black Farmer
Wilfred Emmanuel Jones shares his gripping story of his life's journey – from arriving from Jamaica and living in inner city Birmingham to owning a farm on the…
The PlodcastSound Escape 76: relax to the lullaby of a Welsh river
It's a welcome cool, overcast day by the River Usk – there is rain in the air. The water is clear and bubbling through a small set of rapids in a gently…
The Plodcast158. A summer's day in a Somerset cider orchard
Head to the sleepy hamlet of Shepton Montague in Somerset to meet Oliver Dowding – dairy-farmer-turned-cider-maestro. Discover the magic of apple trees and…
The PlodcastSound Escape 75: relish the atmosphere of an ancient sunken lane
It’s summer, yet the bruised skies and pulsing winds don’t seem to know it. As if blown over by the squalls; a farm gate clunks. After walking the fields, you…
The Plodcast157. Wander among butterflies and birdsong on a wildlife-friendly farm
Is it possible to farm profitably and have abundant wildlife on your land? George and Elaine Morris take us on a tour of their mixed farm in Buckinghamshire…
The PlodcastSound Escape 74: by memerised by waves lapping a sandy beach on a holy island
Boarding a small passenger ferry at Tenby, you set sail for Caldey Island through a swell that rocks the boat like a toy in the bath. Before long, you reach…
The Plodcast156. Enjoy a dreamy summer's day at the Cerne Abbas Brewery in Dorset
It's a glorious summer's day in Dorset and Plodcast regular Kevin Parr heads to the village of Cerne Abbas to visit the local brewery. Meet Vic, Jodie and Matt…
The PlodcastSound Escape 73: be soothed by a breeze through the canopy of an ancient oak tree
You're climbing an oak tree and its rough, weathered branches reach down like the arms of an aiding grandfather to pull you up. The coarse, lichen-dusted bark…
The Plodcast155. One man's plan to revolutionise fish and vegetable farming in Britain
Could hydroponics be the future of farming? Ex-chef Antonio Paladino welcomes Annabel Ross onto Bioaqua Farm, his smallholding in the Somerset Levels, where he…
The PlodcastSound Escape 72: relax on the shore of the Hebridean island of Eigg
You hear the waves on Eigg’s rocky shores, a distant breeze, perhaps. But lazing silently on one of the tiny island’s floating in the tiny harbour there a…
The Plodcast154. Exploring a marvellous wildlife haven on Dartmoor and discussing the marvels of soil
Explore a magical wildlife haven tucked in a fold on the edge of Dartmoor. Meet Tony Bayliss of the Langaford Farm Charitable Trust who manages the site; soil…
The PlodcastSound Escape 71: the soothing sounds of a canoe paddling up a river
You're in a canoe, paddling slowly upstream against a gentle current. The sounds of the oars dipping and sweeping is mesmeric – while birds sing from the…
The Plodcast153. A perfect taste of the countryside at the British Pie Awards
Every year, the British Pie Awards judges meet for one day in Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire to taste hundreds of pies in order to crown a supreme pie…
The PlodcastSound Escape 70: listen to the thrilling rumble of a storm rising over Dorset
Enjoy an audio escape into the British countryside, wherever you are. It's a summer evening in a Dorset coomb near the coast. The shadows are long but the…
The Plodcast152. Explore a traditional Devon dairy farm and home of award-winning cheddar cheese
Smell the hay, meets the cows and hear the skylarks on Quicke's farm in Devon where they produce award-winning cheddar cheese using traditional methods. Tanya…
The PlodcastSound Escape 69: the magical trinity of pied flycatcher, restart and wood warbler in a Welsh oak wood
Wandering deep into the oak wood, you find yourself serenaded by a magical trinity of birds. First a wood warbler, then a redstart and finally a pied…
The Plodcast151. Enjoy a marvellous adventure foraging and fishing in the far north of Scotland
The Plodcast team head to Assynt in Sutherland in the far north of Scotland to fish for brown trout on remote lochs and forage for edible treats on wild…
The PlodcastSound Escape 68: be enchanted by the evocative chatter of a huge seabird colony
Be transported to the wild cliffs of Handa, off the coast of Sutherland, and the swirling whirling city of seabirds. It's the beginning of the breeding season…
The PlodcastPreview of season 13: A taste of the countryside
Introducing a new season of plodcasts exploring food and farming across the countryside. We'll be foraging in northern Scotland, meeting farmers who work…
The PlodcastSound Escape 67: a tree pipit singing exultantly in Wentwood Forest
Mid May in Wales largest ancient woodland – Wentwood in Gwent – and the birds are singing in the morning sunshine. Enjoy the excitable song flight of the male…
The Plodcast150. Canoeing with beavers at dawn on the River Avon near Bath
Beavers are being spotted more frequently in the wild in Britain. In this adventure, Annabel Ross joins beaver expert Bevis Watts at dawn on the River Avon…
The PlodcastSound Escape 66: sit down on the shore in Arisaig and be soothed by waves and oystercatchers
Be charmed and relaxed by a few minutes on a blissful shore in Arisaig, Scotland. The road to the Isles squeezes between Lochaber’s high mountains like a burn…
The Plodcast149. How the River Severn is being unlocked to allow fish to migrate once more
Once upon a time, millions of fish would migrate up the River Severn to spawning grounds – including the beautiful twaite shad or mayfish. But weirs built for…
The PlodcastSound escape 65: be enchanted by the little-known song of the garden warbler
As the scrubby hillside hawthorns burst into burst into bloom, the musky vanilla perfume of the white mayflowers encourages a male garden warbler into his…
The Plodcast148. Stunning spring nature in the New Forest with Dominic Couzens
Enjoy a delightful wander around one of the naturally richest corners of the New Forest in early spring with naturalist and writer Dominic Couzens. Discover…
The PlodcastSound Escape 64: the spine-tingling songs of wood warblers
A still morning on the hill, the strange aniseed scent of cow parsley rises as the lane to the woods is warmed by the sun. Among the ancient, twisted oaks, the…
The Plodcast147. A sensational evening among nightingales in a Sussex woodland - with singer Sam Lee
Wrap up warm, wear your softest clothes and step out into the night with folk singer Sam Lee and violinist Anna Phoebe to listen to nightingales singing in a…
The PlodcastSound Escape 63: enjoy a cuckoo chorus in a Dorset vale
A damp and dank May morning. Mild and mizzled. A robin feeds its young while the song of blackbird, song thrush and chiffchaff fills the air. There is a gentle…
The Plodcast146. Harriers and hares on Wiltshire downland – with naturalists Chris Yates and Kevin Parr
On the cusp between winter and spring, Plodcast regular Kevin Parr meets his friend and legendary angler-naturalist Chris Yates to explore a little visited but…
The PlodcastSound Escape 62: sunrise in a riverside woodland – with a heron colony
It’s an hour after dawn when the sun finally rises above the head of the valley. There’s an eagerness to the light, keen to get going after its slow start, and…
The Plodcast145. Celebrate the magic of early spring in a hidden valley in Wales
In the first of a new season of Plodcasts celebrating audibly beautiful landscapes – the songs of Wild Britain, Plodcast host Fergus takes us into a little…
The PlodcastSound Escape 61: be delighted by birdsong in a Brecon Beacons' oakwood
An inviting path winds through an oak woodland high on the slopes of a hill in the Brecon Beacons. As morning sun slants into the valley below, a host of birds…
The PlodcastWe preview Season 12: the wild sounds of Britain
The Plodcast team introduce Season 12 of the Plodcast: The Wild Sounds of Britain. This is an opportunity to capture audibly beautiful landscapes, gorgeous…
The PlodcastSE60: Enjoy an extended recording of the dawn chorus from a Wiltshire village
Deep in a Wiltshire vale, the comforting tang of woodsmoke hangs over a slumbering village. It's 5am and still dark but a magical chorus of blackbirds, robins…
The Plodcast144. Creating natural flood defences in Dartmoor with the Environment Agency
How natural flood defences can prevent flooding and increase biodiversity. Annabel Ross takes a walk with the Chair of the Environment Agency Emma Howard Boyd…
The PlodcastSound Escape 59: the uplifting sounds of spring on the allotment
It's a sunny Sunday afternoon on the allotment with a cool, gentle breeze. You can hear the murmur of allotmenteers at work with a backdrop of birdsong and the…
The Plodcast143. Tales from the riverbank part 2: we meet perch and talk pike and adders
In part two of our special angling adventure on the Rivers Isle and Parrett in Somerset, Kevin Parr and plodcast host Fergus continue their gentle meander…
The PlodcastSound Escape 58: the soothing lullaby of raindrops falling on a pond
It hadn’t rained for a week, but just as the garden was beginning to show its thirst, a single drop falls. Then two more. The sky releases a long, slow rumble…
The Plodcast142. Tales from the riverbank part 1: a relaxing day's angling in Somerset
Angler and writer Kevin Parr leads a gentle day's angling on the River Isle. Plodcast host Fergus joins Kev to learn the art of coarse fishing in the peaceful…
The PlodcastSound Escape 57: relax to spring birdsong by a woodland pool deep in the New Forest
Where the heath meets the woods by a pool, deep in the New Forest, the warm spring sun stirs many birds into song. A marsh tit sings and then a stock dove…
The Plodcast141. Rewilding could transform the countryside for wildlife and people, says Rebecca Wrigley
Head for a wander around RSPB Otmoor in Oxfordshire in late winter with Rebecca Wrigley from Rewilding Britain argues the case for huge change across the…
The PlodcastSound Escape 56: relax to the sounds of waves on a hidden cove on Shetland
It's high tide on the northern coast of mainland Shetland – a bitterly icy day but the sun is out, puffins are on the water offshore and fulmars are scouting…
The Plodcast140. Meet Alix Chiddley-Uttley on her magical family farm at lambing time
Alix Chiddley-Uttely helps run her family's 100-acre farm in the stunning Shropshire Hills. In this episode, she invites Plodcast host Fergus to meet her ewes…
The PlodcastSound Escape 55: soothing woodland birdsong and the chanting of herons
A day of rain has left the river running high and fast. The path on the bank is muddy. The air dank and cold. It could be deepest winter, if not for the riot…