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 Plodcast139. The magic of eBiking through the Forest of Dean
Why eBikes can make a huge difference to how you explore the countryside. Plodcast host Fergus enjoys a day's cycling in the Forest of Dean in the depths of…
The PlodcastSound Escape 54: the soothing conversations of a flock of house sparrows
The happy, mesmerising chirping of a colony of house sparrows. As crocuses bloom in a small front garden, a dozen sparrows bubble with an incessant chatter…
The Plodcast138. How the people of Langholm took control of their local countryside
Meet Angela Williams and Jenny Barlow who are helping the people of Langholm in south west Scotland make the most of their purchase of 5,200 acres from the…
The PlodcastSound Escape 53: the soft trilling of greenfinches on the edge of an overgrown farm
Relax to the gentle trilling of a party of greenfinches. Walking an old footpath on the edge of a town, you stumble across a ruined farmhouse. Trees and scrub…
The Plodcast137. Wild moors and wild moods: how walking in nature can inspire stunning art
Enjoy a wild winter's walk around the town of Mossley in Greater Manchester where the surrounding moors, woods and crumbling industrial heritage inspire two…
The PlodcastSound Escape 52: Make yourself comfortable and cosy beside an open fire
After a cold and wet day in the hills, you light a fire in the stove and make a welcome cup of tea. You settle into a favourite armchair to watch the dancing…
The Plodcast136. A beautiful and relaxing walk on the Isle of Seil with poet Kenneth Steven
Poet and BBC Radio regular Kenneth Steven takes us on a gentle winter's walk through the lanes and fields of his home island of Seil in the Inner Hebrides…
The PlodcastSound Escape 51: Relax to the soft chatter of starlings on a Wiltshire dairy farm
A horde of starlings descends on a dairy farm in the Vale of Pewsey to forage among the piles of gently steaming fodder and manure while cattle shelter inside…
The Plodcast135. Getting lost among hillforts and ravens on a winter's walk in Monmouthshire
Setting out to give voice to forgotten lowland landscapes of Monmouthshire overlooked by visitors, plodcast host Fergus instead get lost as the little-used…
The PlodcastSound Escape 50: a gentle walk along the Kennet and Avon Canal in Wiltshire
It's a cold, clear day with frosted grass and glass. You're walking beside the very-full Kennet and Avon canal and water rushes noisily through a loch. But…
The Plodcast134. Enjoy a walk with the boss of the Countryfile TV show: Jane Lomas
Take a wander in wooded coombe near Bristol with the Jane Lomas, series producer of the Countryfile TV show. The Sunday evening programme is one of the most…
The PlodcastSound Escape 49: soothing waves crashing on an empty beach in Devon
Be soothed by the gentle rise and fall of waves. On the north coast of Devon, where the high cliffs of Hartland plunge into the Atlantic Ocean, is the small…
The Plodcast133. Explore the greatest music inspired by the British countryside – while wandering in the Cotswold Hills
Discover how the British countryside has inspired great composers over the centuries – and how their music helps us evoke landscapes and their wildlife. BBC…
The PlodcastSound Escape 48: be transported to a lowland farm where ravens kronk and cattle low
Ravens call over the stark winter landscape of farmland in deeply rural Monmouthshire. Robins sing and, from a distant barn, cattle low. BBC Countryfile…
The Plodcast132. The wonderful song of the winter marshes with naturalist Ben Hoare
In the first episode of the new season, Voices of the Countryside, plodcast host Fergus heads to the wild marshes of WWT Steart on the Somerset coast with…
The PlodcastSound Escape 47: enjoy the first birdsong of the year on a frosty green lane
You're walking up a old green lane carved into a frosty hillside, and your feet sink deep into the waterlogged leaf litter. Early January sunlight is driving…
The PlodcastVoices of the Countryside – we preview our new season of Plodcasts
Join the Plodcast team of Fergus, Hannah and Jack to hear about upcoming adventures in the countryside in season 11 of the Countryfile Magazine Plodcast…
The PlodcastSound Escape 46: listen as a song thrush sings in the new year
On a winter's morning in Dorset, a song thrush starts up its first practise songs of the new year in preparation for the coming breeding season – to a backdrop…
The PlodcastSound Escape 45: the soothing calls of roosting lapwings on a coastal lagoon in Somerset
Dusk falls on a still, winter's day at Steart Marshes WWT on the Somerset coast. On a lagoon near the mouth of the River Parrett, a host of wading birds is…
The Plodcast131. Plodcast plans for 2022 – and festive games – in the Christmas party
Enjoy part two of our plodcast Christmas party where we make plans for wildlife adventures in 2022, play a Christmas bird spotting game and remind ourselves of…
The PlodcastSound Escape 44: the delightful song of a robin at dawn on Christmas Eve
Relax to the exquisite song of a robin singing in a country garden at dawn on Christmas Eve – with a chorus of next door's chickens for company. BBC…
The Plodcast130. It's the Plodcast Christmas special! Join the team to celebrate a year exploring the UK countryside
Join the Plodcast Christmas special where the team gather in the studio to discuss favourite episodes, guests and wildlife moments from 2021. We talk bitterns…
The PlodcastSound Escape 43: unwind to the song of silver birch trees
You've clambered down from a Peak District ridge to take shelter in a silver birch woodland. The wind, the tail end of Storm Arwen, whooshes through the stark…
The Plodcast129. PLODCAST SPECIAL: talking Lost Words and Spell Songs with the great Robert Macfarlane
Robert Macfarlane is one of the foremost British nature writers. His recent collaboration with Jackie Morris, The Lost Words, was a celebration of nature words…
The PlodcastSound Escape 42: be gently charmed by mewing buzzards in a forgotten valley
Wander through a hidden valley in the Welsh Borders listening to a pair of buzzards mewing to each other as they stake their claim on the territory in…
The Plodcast128. Hear the ancient stories of Britain with historian Amy Jeffs on the Avalon Marshes
Come for a wander through the Somerset marshes in late autumn with author and historian Amy Jeffs. Amy has written Storyland, a retelling of the ancient and…
The PlodcastSound Escape 41: the magical music of a mountain stream
Be calmed by the relaxing giggle of a stream tumbling off Sugar Loaf mountain in the Brecon Beacons near Abergavenny. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes…
The Plodcast127. Foraging for fungi and other mysteries in Dorset with John Wright
Learn about the magic and mystery of fungi with expert mushroom hunter John Wright. He joins our own Kevin Parr for a ramble in a hidden corner of Dorset…
The PlodcastSound Escape 40: the delicious sound of feet crunching on fallen leaves in an ancient woodland
Enjoy an autumn dog walk through a beech and oak woodland and listen to feet crunching on leaves while the wind seethes through the canopy. BBC Countryfile…
The Plodcast126. The big issues facing the English countryside – a discussion with Tony Juniper at Wicken Fen – PART 2
Hear about the big issues facing the English countryside from and Chair of Natural England, Tony Juniper. The conservationist and environmental campaigner…
The PlodcastSound Escape 39: Relax to the rhythm of the sea swirling on a rocky shore
Slow down the pace of your day with this short audio postcard from the countryside – waves swooshing and swirling around rocky outcrops of a rugged Gower…
The Plodcast125. Talking with Tony Juniper, the Chair of Natural England, at Wicken Fen – PART ONE
A plodcast special – in two parts. Rob Yorke meets conservationist, environmental compaigner and now Chair of Natural England Tony Juniper at Wicken Fen in…
The PlodcastSound Escape 38: the eerie and dramatic fallow deer rut on a dark Dorset night
It's 3am on an autumn night in West Dorset and an oily blackness beneath a moonless sky. There's a hush in the cold still air but the atmosphere is thick with…
The Plodcast124. Strange tales of family and folklore from the wilds of Dartmoor with author Tom Cox
Take a wander through the wild tors and misty valleys of Dartmoor in the company of Tom Cox. Tom has gathered dozens of stories of folklore and the…
The PlodcastSound Escape 37: be soothed with a riverside walk in South Wales
In this brief adventure in the countryside, you're walking along a stretch of shingle beside the River Usk in South Wales – the water has risen after recent…
The Plodcast123. Looking for historical artefacts on the River Thames with London mudlarker Lara Maiklem
The London Mudlark – Lara Maiklem – spends her free time combing the River Thames foreshore for fascinating objects that each have a story to tell. From…
The PlodcastSound Escape 36: Peace and birdsong in a Gloucestershire churchyard
Take a moment to enjoy the gentle chorus of wild birds and foraging insects on a still autumn day. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a short…
The Plodcast122. Giant vegetables and other rural delights at the Malvern Autumn Show
Join the Plodcast team as they explore the magical Malvern Autumn Show and meet world record giant vegetables, noisy steam engines, champion bulls, chuckling…
The PlodcastSound Escape 35: cheerful sparrows singing through a rainstorm
Enjoy the drama of an autumn storm hitting a Dorset cottage while the garden sparrows – and a robin – bravely sing through the tempest. BBC Countryfile…
The Plodcast121. Uncovering the secrets of a graveyard in Gloucestershire
Sitting on a small hill above the River Severn, St Arilda's Church has a magical churchyard full of old gravestones – and each one tells a curious tale. We…
The PlodcastSound Escape 34: gentle and relaxing sounds of waves on a pebble beach
Be charmed and soothed by the ebb and flow of waves on a pebble shore. It's an overcast autumn day at Pwll Du on Gower – a hidden smugglers' cove where you can…
The Plodcast120. Tales of nature and protest in the North Wessex Downs with writer Nicola Chester
Roam Gallows Down on the Witshire, Hampshire, Berkshire border and hear tales of ancient and modern history – as well as the battles to defend the precious…
The PlodcastSound Escape 33: Relax to robins singing in autumn beside the swish and swirl of the River Usk
Ease yourself into the day with the song of robins from a riverside woodland in South Wales. Enjoy the background swirl of the River Usk in the latest calming…
The Plodcast119. Join a music festival on the River Wye and meet the folk trying to save the "Queen of Rivers"
Enjoy wonderful folk music beside the River Wye and listen to the story of campaigners "Walking with the Wye" to raise awareness of the river's sad plight due…
The PlodcastSound Escape 32: listening to cries of terns from a bird hide at Hodbarrow, Cumbria
Shelter from autumn rain in a wooden bird hide and listen to the exotic cries of terns at RSPB Hodbarrow nature reserve in Cumbria. BBC Countryfile Magazine's…
The Plodcast118. On the hunt for mystery big cats on the loose in the Cotswolds
There are tales of mysterious black panthers from almost every corner of the land – so we head out with writer and naturalist James Fair to look into one…
The PlodcastSound Escape 31: the calming patter of rain on autumn leaves
Listen to the calming sound of a gentle rain on the leaves of beech and hazel trees while you shelter in a green lane in the Cotswolds. Recorded by Fergus…
The Plodcast117. Poetry, peace and corncrakes on the sacred Scottish island of Iona
Relax to the gentle tones of poet Kenneth Steven as he explores the history and magic of Iona: likely birthplace of the ancient Book of Kells, resting place of…
The PlodcastSound Escape 30: Tranquil footsteps along a woodland path and stream in autumn
Relax as you walk beside a stream at the bottom of a valley of beech and oak woodland in the Brecon Beacons – known as St Mary's Vale. This is episode 30 of…
The Plodcast116. Unearthing the strange histories of the yew trees of Kingley Vale with poet Hugh Dunkerley
Poet Hugh Dunkerley explores mysterious Kingley Vale in the South Downs of West Sussex in search of a bunker created to house resistance fighters in the event…
The PlodcastSound Escape 29: relax on a Gower headland while gulls call above and a tractor gathers hay
Listen to gulls as you sit on a headland overlooking the sea on the south Gower coast. Nearby a tractor bales hay as the last rays of afternoon sun light the…
The Plodcast115. Climbing the epic peak of Suilven in Assynt in northern Scotland
Suilven is one of Scotland's most impressive peaks. Fergus Collins joins two old friends for an expedition to climb this magnificent mountain in Assynt and…
The PlodcastSound Escape 28: unwind to late summer swallows above an Iron-Age hillfort in the Brecon Beacons
Atop the Iron-Age hillfort known as Pen y Crug high above the edge of Brecon, you can relax to the calls of the last of summer's swallows. Wind and sheep sigh…
The Plodcast114. Exploring the lost town of Old Sarum in Wiltshire with writer Christopher Somerville
Legendary walker and writer Christopher Somerville joins our own Annabel Ross to explore the ruins of Old Sarum near Salisbury in Wiltshire and tells the…
The PlodcastSound Escape 27: be calmed by the wild song of the ash tree
Relax to the rustle of a summer breeze through the leaves of an ancient ash tree in the Brecon Beacons. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes offer a…
The Plodcast113. Investigating the chilling Pool of Witches on a Brecon Beacons mountain
Lost on a lonely, trackless mountain lies Pwll Gwy-Rhoc – the Pool of Witches – a mysterious lake that is the source of strange tales. Come with us on a quest…
The PlodcastSound Escape 26: slow down with the sounds of a narrowboat passing through a lock on the Peak Forest Canal
Enjoy the gentle drama of a narrowboat passing through a lock on the Peak Forest Canal on the western edge of the Peak District. This slow radio is the latest…
The Plodcast112. Strange tales at a Dorset henge… Part 2 of the Knowlton Circles mystery with Mary-Ann Ochota
Explore the extensive earthworks or Knowlton Circles in Dorset and the eerie ruined church at their centre. Archaeologist, anthropologist and broadcast…
The PlodcastSound Escape 25: be charmed by the gentle babble of a farmland stream
Cool off beside a babbling brook on the border of Cheshire and Derbyshire. In Countryfile Magazine's latest Sound Escape, it's early afternoon on a hot…
The Plodcast111. The mystery of Knowlton Circles in Dorset with Mary-Ann Ochota – part 1
Join archaeologist, anthropologist and broadcaster Mary-Ann Ochota on the Dorset downs as she ventures across an ancient landscape of mysterious pathways…