Ramblings

Rerouting the Shropshire Way

Release Date: 2/13/2025

Duration: 24 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Clare meets a group of passionate walkers responsible for the redesign and relaunch of the Shropshire Way long distance footpath. Back in 2016 they got together, in collaboration with the local Council, to reroute it and improve the waymarking. And now they have a 200 mile footpath in a figure of eight, centred on Shrewsbury. For Ramblings they met Clare at the Benthall Hall National Trust carpark and set off on a 5.5 mile linear route crossing the world famous Iron Bridge, onto Loamhole Dingle, Braggers Hill and Little Wenlock. Leading the way were Amanda Hartley-Newton and Audrey Menhinick (who with her late Ramblers colleague, set up the Shropshire Way Association). They, along with a handful of fellow volunteers, tell Clare what a satisfying – if challenging – project this has been.OS MAP: OS Explorer 242 Telford, Ironbridge and the Wrekin Grid Ref: SJ 657 024 https://shropshireway.org.uk/Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Capel y ffin and the Twmpa

Release Date: 2/6/2025

Duration: 24 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Clare meets a passionate proponent of walking today on a hike around Capel y ffin and the Twmpa in the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park. Andrew Green has just published a book called Voices on the Path, a History of Walking in Wales and for him it’s not just a case of putting one foot in front of the other and admiring the scenery, it’s “an activity loaded with all kinds of social, cultural and economic associations”. Their immediate surroundings have long attracted writers and artists from across the generations including William and Dorothy Wordsworth, JMW Turner, Bruce Chatwin and Allen Ginsberg. Also drawn to the beauty of Capel y ffin was the poet and painter, David Jones, described in 1965 as the 'best living British painter' by the then Director of the National Gallery. Peter Wakelin's book 'Hill Rhythms' tells Jones' story, which he wanted to share with Clare on the walk but a twisted ankle meant he had to remain at base, however he used the time to seek out the potential location of one of Jones's best loved paintings.They met at the tiny Capel-y-ffin chapel on the Monmouthshire/Powys border and walked up the Twmpa - also known as Lord Hereford’s Knob - in the Black Mountains returning via the valley of Nant Bwch. A walk of just over six miles. Grid Ref for where they met: SO253316Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Fife - Clatto Reservoir to Pitscottie

Release Date: 1/30/2025

Duration: 24 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Clare is in the Kingdom of Fife today, hiking from Clatto Reservoir to Pitscottie. It’s a beautiful stretch of the Fife Pilgrim Way, a long-distance footpath that runs 65 miles from either Culross or North Queensferry (there’s a choice of starting places) and ends in St Andrews. Joining her are three colleagues from the Fife Coast and Countryside Trust, who helped to develop the route, and an Elder from the church in the village of Ceres who would like to see 'champing' (that's camping in churches) established as a way of providing good accommodation for Pilgrims passing through Ceres on their way to St Andrews. The Fife Pilgrim Way was officially opened in 2019 and connects west to east Fife via routes traditionally used by religious pilgrims. The route is divided into seven sections, ranging from 8 to 11 miles in length. You can find more information here: https://fifecoastandcountrysidetrust.co.uk/walks/fife-pilgrim-way/ Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

60-60-60 in the Southern Pentlands

Release Date: 1/23/2025

Duration: 24 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Clare Balding is celebrating a listener’s birthday today. Not something we’ve done before, but when we heard that Lynda Pettit was marking her 60th birthday by walking 60 different routes with 60 different people, and that the idea was partly inspired by Ramblings, well we just had to join in, especially as it’s Clare’s 25th year on Ramblings (double celebrations!). Lynda and several friends took Clare for a hike on the Stoney Path walk in the Pentland Hills near West Linton, about 20 miles south of Edinburgh. They met outside The Gordon Arms Hotel on the A702 and went up into the southern Pentlands. It’s a route that takes in the Old Roman road that heads up to Edinburgh; Stoney Path, also known as Thieves Road, an ancient droving track used by cattle reivers herding stolen livestock through the hills; and Baddinsgill Reservoir. They also ascended Mount Maw, catching sight of a beautiful cloud inversion on the way. Views from the top stretched around 80 miles to a snow-capped Ben Lomond, Scotland's most southerly Munro. Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Trees in Winter near Abergavenny

Release Date: 1/16/2025

Duration: 24 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: This is Clare’s 25th year of making Ramblings and one thing she has always enjoyed is walking all year round, in any weather. No matter how windy, how cold or how wet she’ll be out recording in the company of an equally weatherproof interviewee. Winter is her favourite season for a stroll and today she’s found someone else who feels the same… Richard Shimell’s book, Trees in Winter, is about the healing properties of nature and walking especially during the coldest season. When the inclination for so many is to stay indoors, he’s out drawing inspiration for his detailed and beautiful lino-cut prints of winter trees. Although his book features many prints of Dartmoor trees, he now lives in Grosmont near Abergavenny in south Wales and this is where he leads Clare for a walk up the hill near his home. The Graig Syfyrddin, or just The Graig, is 423m/1388ft and is on the Three Castles walk. Clare and Richard had a wonderfully clear day with far-reaching views.Find out more about Richard and his book on his website: https://richardshimell.co.ukPresenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Clare's 25th Year! Bakewell with the RamSoc

Release Date: 1/9/2025

Duration: 24 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: This is Clare's 25th year of walking and talking on Ramblings! To mark this, ahem, milestone her first hike of 2025 is with a group of students from the University of Nottingham who are all members of the RamSoc (The Rambling and Hiking Society) which has just celebrated its 90th anniversary. All of today's walkers are under the age of 25, so weren't even around when Clare first stepped out with the Ramblings microphone. It's joyful to know that walking in the great outdoors continues as a rich part of our culture with young people like Theo, Amy, and others leading the way...They met in Bakewell, Derbyshire on a rainy, windy, wintery Sunday morning and set off on a circular hike taking in the grounds of Chatsworth House.Producer: Karen Gregor Presenter: Clare Balding

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Chief Scout Dwayne Fields in Epping Forest

Release Date: 11/21/2024

Duration: 24 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Clare rambles around Epping Forest with the new Chief Scout, Dwayne Fields. He was appointed in September 2024, taking over from Bear Grylls, and has a wealth of adventure experience under his belt. Dwayne was born in Jamaica and came to the UK at the age of six. He grew up in inner city London and says his formative years were wrapped up in social stigma, and he became a victim of both knife and gun crime. He managed to break away from this culture by spending time in outdoor spaces like Hackney Marshes, rediscovering a love of the outdoors he had felt deeply as a youngster in Jamaica. He remembers watching a TV interview with James Cracknell and Ben Fogle who were looking for a third team member to join a polar expedition. Although by the time he applied he was too late for selection, Dwayne did eventually join another trip and became the first black Briton to trek to the north pole.For Ramblings he leads Clare from the Scout Centre at Gilwell Park into and around Epping Forest. According to the Epping Forest Heritage Trust, it’s the largest open space in London at just over 6000 acres stretching from Manor Park in east London to just north of Epping in Essex. Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

The Old Lags - Bristol

Release Date: 11/14/2024

Duration: 24 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Clare joins a long established group as they embark on their 100th walk. Their route takes them from Leigh Woods, under the Clifton Suspension Bridge, and into the heart of Bristol.They call themselves The Old Lags, and every member was responsible during their careers for keeping our lights on and our kettles boiled as employees of the Central Electricity Generating Board. They’re all retired now and David Miller, who runs the Old Lags, is certain they’d have lost touch had it not been for their shared love of a good stomp.Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

River Itchen - Hampshire

Release Date: 11/7/2024

Duration: 24 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Clare explores the banks of the River Itchen in Hampshire with Andrew Simkins who has just completed walking around the coast and borders of England. It’s taken him eight years, and it’s been an extraordinary journey in more ways than one. His beloved daughter, Alice, died age 28 in 2016 and he discovered that devoting himself to the process of walking helped him deal with the grief; it gave him a feeling of solace and a sense of connection with her. When people asked him if he was walking alone, he would reply 'I’m often in the best of company’.This isn’t a sad episode of Ramblings, though, it’s very much about the positive impact of walking even in the most awful circumstances, and Andrew is a cheery companion. The route Andrew is sharing with Clare isn’t part of the coast OR borders, but he explains that he chose to divert away from the coast at this point as the Itchen Way appealed to him so much. Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Lise Wortley - Woman with Altitude

Release Date: 10/31/2024

Duration: 87540 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Clare meets ‘Woman with Altitude’ Lise Wortley who recreates the adventures of overlooked and forgotten female explorers. As Lise takes Clare on a walk around her childhood village of Boxford in Suffolk, she tells Clare why she doesn’t just follow in the footsteps of these incredible women but even wears the same kind of clothing and footwear. Her latest expedition, in woollen skirts and specially made hob-nail boots, was an attempt to climb Mont Blanc on the same route as the French adventurer, Henriette D'Angeville. In 1838 Henriette was the first woman to summit Mont Blanc unaided, in other words without being lifted across the tricky parts as a previous female walker had done. Lise's adventure didn't work out quite as expected and led to her taking a long and unexpected diversion up a completely different and less well known mountain.Find out more about Lise on her website: www.womanwithaltitude.com/Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Alan Titchmarsh on the Isle of Wight

Release Date: 10/24/2024

Duration: 87360 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Alan Titchmarsh takes Clare Balding for his favourite stroll across Tennyson Down on the Isle of Wight. A keen and regular walker, Alan splits his time between the mainland and the Isle of Wight, and has a lot to share with Clare about this place that he loves. Best known as a TV gardener, interviewer and romantic novelist, Alan grew up in a family that took regular Sunday walks and as a young child developed an affinity for the natural world. Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

GM Ringway - a new 200-mile walking route

Release Date: 10/17/2024

Duration: 87480 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Clare hikes along a section of the GM Ringway, Greater Manchester’s new walking trail. It’s a 200 mile route split into 20 stages, starting and ending in Manchester city centre. It goes around the edge of the county through all 10 boroughs of the region, and it’s linked with public transport so people can easily access the linear stages. Joining Clare as she walks part of Stage 6, which is Strines to Marple, is Andrew Read whose brilliant idea this was. He was awarded £250k of funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund to make it happen. The project also depends upon a legion of keen volunteers, several of whom join Clare for today’s walk. One of these is ‘Stage Guardian’ Roz Hughes who explains how important volunteer involvement is to keep the walk maintained in the long term. The starting point of the walk, Strines Station, was described in The Railway Children. Craig Wright joined the group to share his enthusiasm for this classic children’s book, and - while reading a short section - points out aspects of a view that can be recognised from Edith Nesbit's descriptions. Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Arsenic and Fish Weirs on the Edge of Dartmoor

Release Date: 10/10/2024

Duration: 86880 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Clare explores the Lower Tavy Valley in Devon with Sharon Gedye a physical geographer who's spent years discovering how the area's rich history has shaped its landscape and people.Sharon takes Clare on a circular walk starting on West Down, on the western edge of Dartmoor, heading down towards the River Tavy and eventually reaching Double Waters, the confluence of the Tavy and Walkham. On the way they see evidence of arsenic mines, copper workings and discuss long forgotten but fascinating fish weirs. One of these, Sharon discovered with the help of court records, was the focus of an unlikely battle in 1280. Sharon is also interested in how humans shape landscape and how landscape shapes us. Thinking of her grandfather, she says: He was a quarry-man on Dartmoor and by picturing him working and polishing the granite, I feel closer to how he experienced the world. Also on the walk are two of Sharon's friends who bring their own areas of expertise to their interpretation of the area: archeologist Chris Smart, and heritage consultant, Andrew ThompsonSharon writes a blog which you can find at www.awalkinenglishweather.com They met at WhatThreeWords: grin.tend.negotiators / Grid Ref: SX479708Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Amar Latif - President of the Ramblers in North Yorkshire

Release Date: 8/1/2024

Duration: 87540 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Clare and the ‘blind adventurer’ Amar Latif explore a circular route in Nidderdale, North Yorkshire. As the current President of the Ramblers, Amar is keen to promote the message that walking is for absolutely everyone, from all backgrounds and abilities. He lost most of his vision by the time he was 18 and found it very hard to accept. He began to believe that he wouldn’t be able to continue doing all the things he enjoyed but after spending a year of his university course in Canada, decided that travelling was definitely for him and went onto make a career out of it. He set up ‘TravelEyes’ a company specialising in tourism for blind and sighted people travelling together, including walking trips.One of his greatest adventures was walking 220 miles from the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua across to the Pacific Ocean, crossing a shark-filled lake and scaling a 5000ft volcano. Also on the walk are Rayyah McCaul, who is guiding Amar, and Ramblers volunteer and walk leader, Stephen Down. The Ramblers is a charity with around 100,000 members. Established in 1935, one of their main aims is improving access to the countryside for everyone to enjoy.Clare met Amar in Toft Gate Lime Kiln car park, at the top of Greenhow Hill, and completed a five mile circular walk.Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Surrey - from Oaks Park to Kingswood

Release Date: 7/25/2024

Duration: 87540 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Clare meets the founders of Walking Post on a hike from Oaks Park to Kingswood in Surrey. Walking Post is a not-for-profit website run by friends who have designed, mapped and now share multiple walking routes around London, Surrey, Kent, Essex and beyond. Every walk is accessible by public transport, something key to web-designer Lucy Maddison who doesn’t own a car.The project has expanded from a personal project into what is now a free public resource, and even though Lucy and her friend, Emily Morrison, both have ‘proper’ jobs they even offer monthly walks to anyone who wants to come along. Find them at walkingpost.co.ukPresenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Every Body Outdoors in Gloucestershire

Release Date: 7/18/2024

Duration: 87660 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Clare is in the Cotswolds this week with a fantastic group called Every Body Outdoors. They begin their walk in the village of King’s Stanley, Gloucestershire and complete a five mile circuit taking in a stretch of Stroudwater Canal, before heading up to the top of Selsley Common.Co-founded by Steph Wetherell, Every Body Outdoors is a walking group specifically aimed at plus size people who want to build confidence in the outdoors. Many had tried to join conventional groups but either didn’t feel welcome or had bad experiences. Another aim of the group is to work with outdoor brands and retailers to encourage them to provide better designed plus-size kit and clothing . Most technical gear, Steph says, stops at a size 16-18 and there’s little available above a size 20. The group has been so successful they’ve recently trained a group of volunteers who now lead plus size walks all around the UK. Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Donegal with rock climber and mountain guide Iain Miller

Release Date: 7/11/2024

Duration: 87420 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: In the second of two walks in the Republic of Ireland, Clare meets rock climber, mountain instructor and walking guide, Iain Miller, to explore a stretch of the wild, rugged and spectacular Atlantic coastline of County Donegal.They meet at what Iain describes as the most remote place in Ireland, An Port, and the route they take from there affords them views over what he says is Ireland’s last great wilderness including some ‘monster’ sea stacks.Iain is originally from Scotland, but has lived in Co. Donegal for years, making it his place of work as well as his – as he puts it – playground. The two are intertwined as Iain’s business involves leading rock climbing, hillwalking, and other outdoor adventures. The route he shares with Clare is more gentle coastal stroll than vertiginous technical climb but the experience and views are no less impressive.If you want to look at their location on a map, they met here: WhatThreeWords: ///simplicity.school.escalates Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Donegal with Nikki Bradley - Adaptive Adventurer and Amputee

Release Date: 7/4/2024

Duration: 87600 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: In the first of two episodes recorded in the Republic of Ireland, Clare travels to Moyle Hill in County Donegal to meet adventurer and motivational speaker, Nikki Bradley. Diagnosed with a rare bone cancer at just 16 years of age, Nikki (now in her 30s) has defied expectations by living a very active life. She was the first person on crutches to climb four Irish mountain peaks, which took her 32 hours. She scaled the Sólheimajökull glacier in Iceland, and has completed the Fan Dance, one of the toughest endurance challenges in the UK including two ascents of Pen y Fan. Her latest enormous challenge has been to undergo a very unusual leg amputation. The damage caused by the cancer led to two hip replacements in her twenties, but her pain and discomfort continued so ultimately her medical team suggested a procedure known as a rotationplasty. Her upper leg was removed, and her lower leg was turned 180 degrees, raised and attached to the top of her thigh to become her ‘new’ upper leg. Her foot faces backwards at knee height, with the idea that it acts as the knee joint itself. It’s been emotionally very difficult coming to terms with her change of appearance and the pain associated with the procedures and rehab. But, in characteristic spirit, she has continued to push forward and after many months of recovery is now back walking again. Producer: Karen Gregor Presenter: Clare Balding

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Blowy Bamburgh Beach with David Almond

Release Date: 6/27/2024

Duration: 87600 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: David Almond marks 25 years of his extraordinary book, Skellig, with a walk from Seahouses to Bamburgh in Northumberland. As he tells Clare, it's a landscape that has long inspired his imagination and writing. Skellig tells the tale of Michael, a young boy who befriends a magical creature - part owl, part angel – that needs Michael’s help to survive. The book has won multiple awards, been adapted for stage, film, radio and opera and translated into 40 languages. As they walk, David tells Clare how his childhood in the north-east shaped both his character and writing, and discusses why walking is a necessary pleasure. The stretch of coastline they’re exploring is rich with historical, religious and cultural significance and the entire region has provided inspiration for David’s writing over the years.They met at Seahouses Harbour and walked through sun, rain and wind to the most dominant man-made feature in the area - Bamburgh Castle.Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Painting Bluebells in Shropshire

Release Date: 6/20/2024

Duration: 87120 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Clare walks to a glorious display of bluebells to capture them in watercolour in the company of artist Shelly Perkins.On a beautiful day in mid-May they set off into Mortimer Forest near Ludlow to find several acres of bluebells that stretch across high meadlowland. Shelly is an artist and while Clare is not known for her painting prowess, they take a moment to stop, take in the bluey purply haze and capture it in vivid watercolours en plein air. Clare and Shelly met at the Black Pool Car Park and hiked a roughly five mile circular loop through a conifer plantation, into open hay meadow with skylarks hovering overhead, and then onto a huge field full of bluebells. You can see their artwork on the Ramblings instagram page: @bbcramblingsPresenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Kingfishers on the River Frome with Nadeem Perera

Release Date: 4/18/2024

Duration: 87840 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Nadeem Perera is not your conventional image of a birdwatcher. In fact growing up in inner city London he was not raised as or encouraged to be a 'nature boy'. But dropping out of school as a troubled teen he had a revelation. One day he was sitting in woodland and saw a green spotted woodpecker in front of him and his passion for birds was born. Now he can be seen on BBC 1 on the One Show talking about birds and has moved to Bristol to further his career in wildlife presenting. He takes Clare for a walk along the River Frome starting in Eastville Park. It's a grey Winter's day but they are overjoyed to be accompanied along the river by kingfishers lighting up the landscape. Along the way he talks about the project he runs called Flock Together and about his passion for combining young people of colour with the outdoors and nature. They walk from Eastville Park to Snuff Mills and the Stoke Park EstateProducer: Maggie Ayre

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Walking at Night on the South Downs near Seaford

Release Date: 4/18/2024

Duration: 87600 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: When author Annabel Abbs suffered a series of bereavements she found herself unable to sleep. Eventually she began getting up and walking around her garden and neighbouring fields around 3am. But when she heard about Caroline Whiteman who runs guided walks at night without head torches, she just had to go along on one. Caroline began the walks as an experiment in overcoming her fear of the dark. She has found other people keen to get out at night and experience the dark in a totally different way under her care and supervision. Although Clare is walking on a winter's night with barely any moon visible it's amazing how quickly the landscape lights up and the chalk cliffs stand out against the sea. They walked in a loop starting and ending at South Hill Barn Car Park BN25 4JQ near SeafordProducer: Maggie Ayre

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Creaking Trees and a Full Rainbow at Innerleithen

Release Date: 3/28/2024

Duration: 89340 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: The beautiful Borders of Scotland is the location for Clare’s walk this week. She’s exploring the area around Innerleithen with Stewart Wilson. After a career in finance Stewart made a handbrake turn in his early 40s and became a tour guide and travel blogger. He says most visitors to Scotland bypass the Borders for Edinburgh or the Highlands and Islands but – in doing so – are missing out on gorgeous scenery and fascinating history. So today Stewart wants to share what it is about the Borders, and Innerleithen in particular, that should make people want to stop and explore. He grew up there in a family who, for generations, had worked in the textile industry. It’s a sector that has all but disappeared, apart from a few high-end makers, so the area has to try and develop a new identity. History, mountain biking, and of course hiking are all a draw, including the challenging long distance Southern Upland Way which passes nearby.Stewart begins today’s walk at Innerleithen Parish Church on Leithen Road. From there he then leads Clare over Leithen Water at Cuddy Bridge and, after a couple of stiff climbs through a forestry plantation with trees creaking in the wind, arrives at the disused relic of Kirnie Law reservoir. It's a great view point, which thanks to the rainy, sunny, sleety weather, created a full rainbow over the heathery hills beyond. It's a circular route that takes them back down to Innerleithen, just over five miles in total.Producer: Karen Gregor Presenter: Clare Balding

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

On the Hoof with Hannah and Chico

Release Date: 3/21/2024

Duration: 87840 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Clare joins Hannah Engelkamp and her donkey, Chico, for a ramble in the Dyfi Valley a few miles east of Machynlleth in Powys. On the way Hannah tells Clare about the extraordinary adventure she shared with Chico when they walked 1000 miles around the perimeter of Wales. She did this despite having no previous experience of donkeys, or horses, or any animals really. It took twice as long as she intended and was much harder than she ever imagined. The idea of 'carrot or stick' doesn't work, Hannah says, so the first thing she learned was when a donkey stops you just have to wait and stand and look and wait until the moment seems right to move off again. Hannah also tells Clare about her involvement with 'Slow Ways'. It’s a Community Interest Company whose aim is to map, improve, and promote walking routes between Britain’s towns, cities and villages. Clare and Hannah met at Grid Ref: SH 850 027, and walked a section of a Slow Way known as ‘Maccar One’ near Chico’s home at Dyfi Donkey Woods. Maccar One is 23 miles long and connects Machynlleth with Carno. Slow Ways are named for the first three letters of the place at either end of a route e.g. Mac for Machynlleth and Car for Carno.Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

The Wild Cliffs of St David's

Release Date: 3/14/2024

Duration: 87600 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: A cliff edge walk at St. David's in Pembrokeshire with artists Jackie Morris and Tamsin Abbott who are creating a book of illuminated folk stories. Jackie is writing the words and Tamsin is creating original pieces of stained glass for the book's artwork. Jackie is an artist and writer possibly best known for her illustrations in The Lost Words, a large and beautiful book about language and nature. Tamsin is an established stained glass artist and illustrator inspired by the natural world.As they ramble along the coast, Clare hears about their new project - Wild Folk: Tales from the Stones - seven ‘fables of transformation and power summoned from the ancient stones beneath our feet’. Inhabiting the pages are selkies and salmon, a great white raven, a huge black fox and a woman who lives as an owl.Wild Folk doesn’t exist quite yet… It’s being crowd-funded and will be available in 2025.They began their walk at Whitesands carpark and walked cliff-side towards the Coetan Arthur burial chamber on St. David's Head. Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Walking with resistance bands on the South Downs with Julie Ford

Release Date: 2/22/2024

Duration: 87600 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Clare joins PE Teacher Julie Ford for a bracing walk on the Seven Sisters near Eastbourne. It's a walk with a difference. Following a brush with breast cancer Julie was keen to keep fit but no longer wanted to go to the gym. As a passionate walker she was getting good exercise but needed to maintain her upper body strength. So through a process of trial and error Julie has created a way of walking with resistance bands. She takes Clare on a walk on the South Downs on a beautiful sunny Winter's day to show her how to tone her arms while she walks as well as to appreciate health and fitness in the outdoors.Producer: Maggie Ayre

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

We in Front!

Release Date: 2/15/2024

Duration: 87420 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: A joyful hike up Castle Hill near Huddersfield with We In Front, an inspirational group of walkers.Leading the way is Errol Hamlet who, having retired, felt bored, unhealthy and wanted a new challenge. He spotted a neighbour out walking during the pandemic and decided to join her. Then, one by one, more people joined until they eventually had a decent sized group. Most are senior citizens from the local West Indian community and they can often be heard singing as they disappear into the countryside surrounding Huddersfield. As they walk Clare hears about Carriacou, the Caribbean island where nine of the walkers spent at least some of their childhood. Apparently everyone on that island knows someone in Huddersfield... the two places are closely linked. There's also an unexpected conversation about the niche hobby of bottle-top collecting...The group started today's walk at grid reference SE155152 from where they followed a circuitous route up to Castle Hill. Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Clare's Highlights

Release Date: 12/25/2023

Duration: 204000 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Clare chooses some favourite moments from her Ramblings year:Join brothers Manni and Reuben Coe who amble down to Hive Beach in Dorset on a calm summer's day. On the way they recall the emotional story of how Reuben, who has Down's Syndrome, was nurtured back to health partly by walking that very route. Head to Orkney where Clare battles 60mph winds in one of the wildest episodes we've yet recorded. Hike up Shutlingsloe with Frank Milner, in training to climb Kilimanjaro on his 82nd birthday. Hear David and Iain recall some youthful misadventures as they stroll along the cliffs towards Portpatrick on the remote Rhins of Galloway. And meet Sam and Roger by the waterfall in south Wales where their romance began thanks to an online walking group.Boff Whalley of Chumbawamba leads his Commoners Choir in song as they march up to Gaddings Dam in Calderdale. On the Thames Path, Tina and Cas share how their adopted son's way of coping with the world is by long distance hiking. The inspirational Halifax Hikers lead Clare on their favourite local route. And Ali Allen, in Herefordshire, takes time out from running her tiny walking shop to march with Clare up to a section of the Offa's Dyke footpath.Please scroll down to the 'related links' box on the Ramblings page of the Radio 4 website for links to all these individual episodes.Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Hope Valley with Anita Sethi

Release Date: 10/26/2023

Duration: 87240 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: In 2019 Anita Sethi was on a trans Pennine train journey when she was racially abused by a man who later pleaded guilty to the offence. During the attack he told her to go back to where she belonged. Having been born and raised in Manchester Anita feels very strongly that the North of England is where she belongs and as a way of working through the shock and trauma of the incident she began a journey through the Pennines on foot beginning at the uplifting and positively named Hope in the Peak District. Clare joins her for a hike in the steep countryside to Edale taking in Mam Tor and Kinder Scout.Producer: Maggie Ayre

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Boxing on the beach at Ainsdale

Release Date: 10/19/2023

Duration: 87540 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Rose Mac moved to the North West from London a year ago and is constantly delighted by the nature and walking possibilities of her new home. Ainsdale Nature Reserve houses a rare species of sand lizard as well as natterjack toads. A walk through the pine woodland close to the town's railway station brings you out into beautiful sand dunes and a massive expanse of beach with views of Blackpool Tower to the North and on a clear day the Isle of Man to the west. Rose enthusiastically shows Clare her new home territory and gives her an impromptu boxing lesson on Ainsdale Beach. She says people are becoming increasingly drawn to exercising on UK beaches. Tai chi and yoga work particularly well outdoors and Rose says there's something magical about watching the sunset whilst exercising. The long walk along the beach is a workout in itself because of the sand underfoot.Producer: Maggie Ayre

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Oldbury on Severn and Inside Planet Earth

Release Date: 10/12/2023

Duration: 89820 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Clare walks with Mike Gunton, the man in charge of Planet Earth III, another blockbuster series from the BBC’s Natural History Unit. Mike’s a passionate walker and he takes Clare on a favourite local route around Oldbury on Severn where he courted his wife, and once filmed a sequence in a graveyard about the grim sounding ‘burying beetle’. He also shares stories of his many years working with Sir David Attenborough, and what it’s like making some of the most beautiful and memorable TV shows of recent years. Oldbury on Severn is, as it sounds, near the banks of the longest river in the UK which runs 220 miles from its source in the Cambrian Mountains in mid-Wales to where it meets the sea at the Bristol channel. They meet at St. Arilda's Church and head off on a circular walk of around five miles ending back in the village, at the local pub. Map: OS Explorer 167 Thornbury, Dursley and YatePresenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Out of Portpatrick on the Rhins of Galloway

Release Date: 10/5/2023

Duration: 87600 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: On a beautiful late summer's day Clare and guests explore a coastal walk on a remote peninsula in southern Scotland - the Rhins of Galloway.Walking with her are Peter Ross, who runs a walking for health group, and Margaret Hughes who is one of the members. They start their hike in Portpatrick and head along the coast for a few miles before dropping down into Sandeel Bay and returning to Portpatrick on an inland path through woodland.Margaret is registered blind due to an acquired brain injury, and has had a tough time recovering. Walking is a huge part of her life, and Peter’s group plays a significant part in this especially as Margaret needs a sighted guide to help her along the way. This is the second of two walks on the Rhins of Galloway: last week's episode was with two friends who are taking what could be the longest, slowest route between Land's End and John O'Groats.Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Into Portpatrick on the Rhins of Galloway

Release Date: 9/28/2023

Duration: 87120 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Clare joins two friends on what could possibly be the slowest walk between Land's End and John O'Groats. Hiking one week at a time (with a gap of several years when the Welsh coastline wasn't fully navigable) it's taken Iain McHenry and David Rowe 18 years to reach the coast of Dumfries and Galloway. That's where Clare joins them, on a beautifully sunny day, as they approach the village of Portpatrick on the remote Rhins of Galloway. This is the first of two episodes recorded in the area: next week Margaret Hughes and Peter Ross take Clare on a section of the Southern Upland Way, starting in Portpatrick and heading north. Producer: Karen Gregor Presenter: Clare Balding

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Sandstone Trail

Release Date: 9/21/2023

Duration: 86940 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Sunshine and summer downpours on a hilly Cheshire hike with great views. On the way Clare hears from two friends about how walking has helped them cope with life changing events.Linda Ashworth only discovered walking after her children left home but it became a stress-relieving necessity when her husband suffered a serious accident. Her love of putting one foot in front of the other grew to such an extent that she went onto gain hill and moorland leadership qualifications and set up a business leading walks for ‘ladies of my age’.Tracey was diagnosed, age 40, with acute myeloid leukaemia. The treatment, she says, 'turned my bones to sugar' and she broke her back in five places. This left her unable to walk properly for years, relying on a mobility scooter to get her into the countryside. However, as she slowly recovered, she discovered rambling was a good way to rebuild strength, balance and coordination. To mark her 50th year she went with a group of supportive friends and family on a celebratory three day hike around the Lake District. Linda led the way.For today’s walk, Linda and Tracey take Clare along a section of the Sandstone Trail. It’s a 34 mile long route stretching from Frodsham in Cheshire to Whitchurch just over the Shropshire border. They started at grid ref SJ494526 and headed north. The map they used: OS 257 Crewe and Nantwich.Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

WalKington, Herefordshire

Release Date: 6/29/2023

Duration: 87120 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Ali Allen takes Clare for a sunny hike just outside Kington, a town she would like to be renamed 'WalKington' because it's such a magnet for ramblers.Ali runs a tiny walking shop where her dog, Roo, keeps a look out from the window display full of boots and socks and maps. She lived in Utah for thirty years, working as a nurse, but returned six years ago with no firm plan. Somehow she landed in the tiny town of Kington in Herefordshire where she opened her shop which now has a B&B above it, mostly serving ramblers trekking along Offa's Dyke. On today's walk she leads Clare up Bradnor Hill - crossing the highest 18 hole golf course in England - and onto a stretch of Offa's Dyke. On the way she shares her story of life and love in Utah, making a home back in the UK, and coping with rheumatoid arthritis which, despite the problems it causes, doesn't stop her outdoor adventures.The starting grid reference is SO297566

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Training for Kilimanjaro in Cheshire

Release Date: 6/22/2023

Duration: 87540 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Clare joins a group of friends as they climb Shutlingsloe as part of their preparation for the much bigger adventure of trekking up Kilimanjaro later this year. Known as the 'Matterhorn of the Peak District' Shutlingsloe is around 500 metres high, where Kilimanjaro is closer to 6000 metres, but it's not a bad training ground with its steep incline as well as the reward of beautiful views from the top.Leading the group is former Royal Engineer, Sean Milner, who has arranged the Kilimanjaro trek for his adventurer father, Frank Milner, who plans to reach the summit on his 82nd birthday. Although unable to join the Ramblings hike, also going up Kilimanjaro will be two of Frank's grandsons, making it a three generation event. The starting grid reference for today's walk is SJ 952 715 which is just by the Leather's Smithy pub in Langley, about 15 mins drive from Macclesfield. Producer: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Tree to Tree Trekking

Release Date: 6/15/2023

Duration: 87240 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Martin Hügi is taking an unconventional approach to his long distance hike from Land's End to John O’Groats. He’s planned the route so he can visit as many ancient and veteran trees as possible. It’s a busman’s holiday as his day job is with the Woodland Trust and it's their Ancient Tree Inventory, created in collaboration with the Ancient Tree Forum and the Tree Register, that he’s using to guide him. He’s taken a four month sabbatical from work and Clare is joining him in the early stages of his trek near Marlborough in Wiltshire.Producer: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Riverside Rambling near Reading

Release Date: 6/8/2023

Duration: 86820 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Two friends, Karen and Emma, who say they met when both were post-Covid slumped on the sofa and doing no exercise, take Clare for a walk along the Thames Path near Reading in Berkshire. Their friendship is based on walking and they’re notching up the miles, including the Grand Union Canal (188 miles), the Ridgeway (72 miles) and 150 miles of the Portuguese Camino.Karen says that “Emma has gone from a neighbour I sort of knew to my very best friend. We have laughed so hard together we could barely stand; we have howled with pain together; we have picked each other up when the other could barely go on; we have gotten so grumpy with each other that we could barely speak to each other but always found a way back to friendship”. Clare hears their inspirational story of building a supportive and healing friendship as they ramble riverside one morning in late Spring. They start at the end of the Kennet and Avon canal and walk for around 9 miles to Henley on Thames. This is a section of a long distance route the friends are completing, coast to coast, from Bristol to the Isle of Grain on the Thames Estuary.Producer: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Brotherly Love in Burton Bradstock

Release Date: 6/1/2023

Duration: 87600 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Clare joins brothers Manni and Reuben Coe as they amble for a mile and a half to Hive beach at Burton Bradstock in Dorset. Reuben has Down’s Syndrome and enjoys short, slow walks something that Manni, a professional walking guide more used to long hikes at an active pace, has learned to enjoy. Manni lives between Spain and Dorset and, during Covid, was in Spain while Reuben was in a care home in the UK. This took its toll on Reuben who became isolated and lonely. It all came to a head when, one day, Manni received a text from Reuben saying simply “brother do you love me”. Manni knew this was a cry for help, and as soon as he could returned to the UK to visit Reuben who had become very depressed, insular and had stopped talking. As Manni puts it he “broke Reuben out of his care home” and went to live with him in the cottage where today’s walk starts. There he gradually saw Reuben’s mental health improve, and says that love, nature and walking was key to this. Producer: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Ashdown Forest

Release Date: 5/25/2023

Duration: 87060 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: The group Clare walks with see Ashdown Forest as a national treasure in its own right – and largely an unsung one. They think it’s remarkable that this ten square miles of open access land has survived, only thirty miles south of London. Estate agents in the past even described it as ‘Scotland in Sussex’. A local resident and podcaster Eka Morgan is keen to reconnect visitors from far and wide back to the natural world of Ashdown Forest. Many of the 1.5 million annual visitors don’t understand that it’s actually not a forest at all, but a heath – one of the rarest habitats in the world, rarer than tropical rainforest. So, she is using audio to tell stories of the Forest with a podcast. Joining Eka on the walk are Tom Forward a wildlife guide and bird mimic, James Adler of the Conservators of Ashdown Forest and Kari Dunbar, whose new job focuses on raising dog owners’ awareness of the impact of dogs in wildlife habitats. In memory of James Adler Chief Executive Officer Ashdown ForestProducer: Maggie Ayre

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

The Thames Path in Oxfordshire with Freddie

Release Date: 5/18/2023

Duration: 87660 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: When Freddie was adopted by Tina and Cas he was not in a good way. The first three years of his life left him with anxiety, trauma and PTSD. Tina and Cas discovered that walking is a great way of relieving some of the symptoms and in the six years he has been with them they have already completed several long distance routes including the West Highland Way - twice! They are currently walking the Thames Path - 185 miles of the river from sea to source in preparation for walking the Portuguese Camino this Summer. Clare joins the family on a stretch of the Thames Path in Oxfordshire. Meeting at Wallingford just over the border from Berkshire they follow the path to Dorchester-on-Thames as Freddie talks about his knowledge of trees and plants and introduces her to his amazing assistance dog Garlic.Producer: Maggie Ayre

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Great Alne, Warwickshire

Release Date: 3/30/2023

Duration: 87300 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Retirement villages, recently made very famous by the Thursday Murder Club series of books, are becoming a popular choice for older people who want to, and can afford to, live within a supportive community environment but still retain their independence. For this episode of Ramblings, Clare is walking with Stephen Walsh and his partner, Pat, who live at Great Alne Park retirement village not far from Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire. Along with the village’s visiting fitness instructor, Tania Skerritt, they lead Clare around a four mile route directly from the centre of the village into the local countryside.Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Hiking with Hounds

Release Date: 3/23/2023

Duration: 86640 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Walking your dog in the countryside can be tricky: What if you need to cross a field of cattle or horses? Should you let your dog off the lead or keep it on? Is it best to poo-pick or ‘stick and flick’ in a remote area? Steve Jenkinson has a unique job, having studied the psychology of people and their pets he now works with a range of organisations helping them develop a harmonious relationship with dog walkers who use their land. He lives on Orkney where Clare met him and his dog, Teal, for a coastal walk which passes by the Broch of Gurness. This Iron Age settlement is around 2000 years old and is on the north eastern edge of Orkney’s west Mainland. The St. Magnus Way, a 58 mile long-distance walking route passes by. This is the third of three consecutive walks that Clare recorded on Orkney where she explored its landscape, rich history and archaeology. Presenter: Clare Balding Producer, for BBC Audio in Bristol: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

To the Ring of Brodgar

Release Date: 3/16/2023

Duration: 86640 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: On a windy hike from the Stones of Stenness to the Ring of Brodgar, Clare discovers Orkney's standing stones are as impressive and mysterious as Stonehenge. Her guide is Sandra Miller from Historic Environment Scotland. Their route takes them past the Watchstone and across the Brodgar Peninsula which has a fresh water loch on one side, and a salty one on the other. Sandra, born and brought up on Orkney, shares her love of the landscape and its history on a dramatic wintery day of high winds and hail storms. This is the second of three consecutive Orkney walks within this series of Ramblings, next week Clare is off to the Broch of Gurness.Presenter: Clare Balding Producer, for BBC Audio in Bristol: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

High Winds & Hail on Orkney

Release Date: 3/12/2023

Duration: 86700 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Clare explores the wild and stormy west coast of mainland Orkney in the company of beachcomber, conservationist and former Polar-guide, Martin Gray. Their plan to walk along the cliffs between Yesnaby and Marwick Bay were stymied by consistently high winds of around 60mph. Instead they watched the churning ocean at Yesnaby, drove to the Bay of Skaill for a walk along the rocky beach, then headed up to Birsay for a very slightly more sheltered walk to the Earl's Palace. This is the first of three consecutive Orkney walks. Next week Clare is with Sandra Miller of Historic Environment Scotland walking from the Stones of Stenness to the Ring of Brodgar.Presenter: Clare Balding Producer, for BBC Audio in Bristol: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Four Waterfalls Walk, South Wales

Release Date: 3/8/2023

Duration: 87600 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Sam and Roger met through a walking group on social media. Both were already keen walkers and Sam posted on the Walking In Wales page looking for a walking companion for a walk she wanted to do. Roger offered to go with her... and the rest is history. Reader, they got engaged. They take Clare on one of their favourite walks in Waterfall Country in the Brecon Beacons in South Wales on a beautiful frosty sunny February day.Producer: Maggie Ayre

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

An Art Walk in the Forest of Dean

Release Date: 3/2/2023

Duration: 88380 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Sara Rickard takes groups of local people on a walk through the forest to write, draw and take photographs and simply observe their surroundings. Canopy Arts was set up during Covid when the artists who live in the forest found themselves especially isolated and now runs monthly or fortnightly walks for both seasoned artists and walkers who want to be creatively inspired by the magical atmosphere of this part of the world. Sharon who moved there a year ago is fascinated by what she calls the edgeland that this area is. Sandwiched between the River Severn and the River Wye, the Forest of Dean is actually in Gloucestershire but sometimes feels as though it should be in Wales. It has a long history of free mining and Foresters are traditionally independent in spirit. Clare taps into her own artistic side and joins the group painting with feathers, writing about the landscape and rubbing gravestones.Producer: Maggie Ayre

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

Villagers' Walks around Timsbury

Release Date: 2/17/2023

Duration: 88500 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Clare joins three walkers from the village of Timsbury in Somerset who have created several books detailing100 walks for local people to enjoy in the area. Peter Bradshaw, Larry Cunningham and Sue Fraser stress the books are very much a community project with any proceeds going back into the village. On an extremely wet and windy winter day they take Clare from the village centre around the valley to explore the area's little known coal mining history. All the former mines are obviously closed and the slag heaps are now covered over rich green hillocks which make for safe and easy walking.Producer: Maggie Ayre

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

The Icknield Way

Release Date: 2/9/2023

Duration: 87660 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: David Falk is Green Access Manager on the Public Rights of Way Team for Suffolk County Council. He works hard to encourage people to enjoy walking in the beautiful Suffolk countryside. Along with fellow walker former local radio presenter Leslie Dolphin he takes Clare on a walk along part of the Icknield Way starting at Stow Country Park just north of Bury St Edmunds. . It is claimed to be the oldest road in Britain (5,000 years old!). This section goes through a large pine forest and open heathlands and is lovely walking terrain.Producer Maggie Ayre

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

The Hills are Alive! Commoners Choir in Calderdale

Release Date: 2/2/2023

Duration: 90240 Mins

Authors: BBC Radio 4

Description: Boff Whalley is best known for Tubthumping with the band Chumbawamba but now he’s a core member of the Leeds based Commoners Choir which he founded. They sing about the world around them, about inequality and injustice, and they also love to walk. Cath Long, a fellow member, wrote to Ramblings to ask Clare to join them on a hike in the South Pennines near Todmorden in Calderdale, West Yorkshire. So, on a chilly, wet and blustery Saturday in early January, they met by the Shepherd’s Rest pub and headed into the hills to ramble and sing. Boff created a choir manifesto, and one aim was to 'rehearse until we're brilliant' and they really are. Their Skelmanthorpe Flag Song, which they performed at the historic Basin Stone, was heard by fellow walkers at least two miles down in the valley. On a circular hike, which began and ended at the pub, they stopped off at Gaddings Dam, often described as the highest beach in the UK, where some choir members took the plunge and sang out from the wind-blown waves of the reservoir.Grid Ref for start of walk: SD 945 231Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No