countryfile

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

Countryfile – Jersey 2: Charlotte Smith and Matt Baker are back on Jersey for a second visit to the sunny Channel Island. After a dramatic entrance via the sea, they discover how people power stopped development on Jersey’s sensitive coastline and why the battle is on to save the island’s puffins, which are on the brink of extinction. Matt discovers the healing powers of surfing, and we meet the rugby-playing mates who decided to try making their own sea salt after running out of the stuff at a beach barbecue.     We also catch up with the Power Rangers,

Countryfile – Summer: It’s summer, and Margherita Taylor is on Mahee Island in County Down to meet the Mackie family for the second of three Countryfile visits to the island. Margherita joins Julie to go through the family archives, which reveal what life was like during World War II when they hosted evacuees from Belfast and Europe. Young naturalist Dara McAnulty reveals how the great outdoors helped with exam nerves, while Charlotte investigates what the Northern Ireland protocol means for farmers, and Adam finds out how avian flu might affect the Christmas turkey market.     Stories are shared of

Countryfile – A Rural Welcome: Matt Baker and Margherita Taylor are in the New Forest in Hampshire, as the community comes together to help Ukrainian refugees. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, more than 50,000 people have arrived in the UK, and rural communities across the country are giving them a warm welcome.     Margherita meets a mother and daughter who have fled the war and found sanctuary in the Hampshire countryside, while Matt lends a hand to a group of volunteers collecting and packing humanitarian aid to send to Ukraine. Tom Heap spends time with Ukrainian farm workers

Countryfile – Jersey 1: Matt Baker and Charlotte Smith pay the first of two visits to Jersey, where they find out about the agile frog that is capable of leaping up to two metres but is on the brink of extinction on this Channel Island.     Matt mucks in on an organic farm producing exotic fruit and vegetables for the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, with a little help from what comes naturally, while Charlotte explores how the brutal landmarks of German occupation are being repurposed to boost the local economy. Meanwhile, Adam is in search of a new sheepdog