Farming and Country Life

Countryfile – Brixham: Joe Crowley is on the south Devon coast, the stunning English Riviera where disco scallops are the talk of the town. A chance discovery that they react to lights could revolutionise scallop fishing. Joe also discovers how new technology can reveal some watery wonders without having to put a toe in the sea, and we meet the farming brothers who’ve turned to aquaponics.       Adam Henson meets the two final contenders going for glory in One Man and His Dog. For Scotland, it’s veteran Sandy and his dog Sam, while Dewi and Jock run for

Countryfile – Quantocks: Margherita Taylor is in the Quantock Hills to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, one of the leading lights of the Romantic movement that took its inspiration from the beauty of the British landscape. The Quantocks were a huge influence on Coleridge, who was an inveterate walker in the area when he was living here in Somerset, and Margherita joins some young people to put quill to paper.       Margherita also visits the Somerset Levels, which this year is becoming the UK’s second ‘super’ national nature reserve. She comes

Countryfile – 100 Years of Farming: Adam Henson and Margherita Taylor step back in time at Cogges Farm in Oxfordshire to look at farming 100 years ago and to chart the radical changes that have shaped our countryside – from the appearance of the first tractor to the changing role of women in agriculture.       Adam gets behind some serious horse power to tend the land, while Margherita tries her hand at pickles and preserves and discovers how women made their mark beyond the farmhouse kitchen. Farmer Helen Browning, chief executive of the Soil Association, reveals the heroines

Countryfile – Heatwave Special: As the heat bakes the British countryside into crisis, Adam Henson and John Craven meet those on the front line. They include the farmer who is double sewing and trying a new crop; the wildlife champions battling to save chalk streams – some of the most vital but fragile habitats in the world; and the firefighters and scientists contending with the wildfires ravaging swathes of our landscape.       John also meets the winemakers who, thanks to the scorching summer, could have a vintage harvest, and finds out how the heatwave has revealed some hidden

Countryfile – Surrey Hills: Just a few miles from London, Matt Baker and Charlotte Smith revel in the serenity and beauty of the Surrey Hills – a landscape that was home to one of Britain’s best-loved composers, Ralph Vaughan Williams. This year marks the 150th anniversary of his birth, and world-renowned violinist Pekka Kuusisto treats us to a very special performance of The Lark Ascending. Charlotte finds out how farmers could help to reverse the fortunes of the skylark, one of our favourite songbirds, while Matt sniffs out some fabulous local produce, including a cheese called Dirty Vicar.    

Countryfile – Wonderful Wildlife: Ellie Harrison is at Oxfordshire Wildlife Rescue to help care for injured creatures great and small, from orphaned fledglings to deer and hedgehogs. Ellie finds out why rescue centres across the UK become increasingly busy during the summer months and why this Oxfordshire centre is under so much pressure that it has had to temporarily close its doors. In just six months, it has taken in the number of wild animals it would normally help in a year.     Ellie also delves into the Countryfile archives to revisit films by some of Britain’s finest wildlife

Countryfile – Hadrian’s Wall: Matt and Charlotte visit the world-famous Hadrian’s Wall as it celebrates its astonishing 1,900th anniversary to uncover some hidden histories of the area. Charlotte makes an amazing discovery at the Roman fort of Vindolanda, an archaeological excavation site where they are unearthing the lives of women and children of our past, and meets the chemist trying to chart the changes beneath the surface.     Matt finds out about the rich multicultural history of the soldiers who manned the wall – from Syrian archers to Iraqi bargemen on the Tyne – and meets the artist whose

Countryfile – Blairgowrie: John Craven and Margherita Taylor are in Blairgowrie, also known as Berry Town, in the east of Scotland, to celebrate the town’s passion for producing what are said to be among the finest raspberries in the world. John steps back in time to discover how this town would come alive in the summer months as people flocked from the cities of Scotland for picking holidays to make a penny or two, and he finds out why this neck of the woods is so perfect for growing these luscious summer fruits. Margherita reveals the secrets of the world’s