PODCAST · science
The Plodcast
by Our Media
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
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372. Learn about the delights of foraging and fermenting with Rachel de Thample
Join a foraging adventure on the Dorset coast with Rachel de Thample, searching for wild ingredients for her inspiring and health-giving fermenting recipes. From kombucha to kimchi, and sauerkraut to sloe olives, Rachel provides a wonderful insight into culinary delights that are simple to…
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Sound Escape 294. Gather your thoughts in a still, sunny woodland
You're on the edge of the Firth of Tay. It's a preternaturally still afternoon. You're deep inside the wood, but the leaves hardly rustle. Instead, the space between the trees is filled with bright sunlight and birdsong.BBC Countryfile Magazine's Plodcast Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard...
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371. Finding healing wild plants on a walk with herbalist Brigit Anna McNeill
Enjoy a mellow, beautiful ramble with herbalist and healer Brigit Anna McNeill and find gentle joy in the wild plants we find in our gardens, parks and hedgerows. Brigit offers Plodcast host Fergus Collins deep insight into the medicinal uses of common wayside wildflowers and why we should change...
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Sound Escape 293. Finding peace and gentle stream in a mountain cleft
After the rains, a mountain stream giggles once again. You pause beside it, marvelling that so tiny a flow should, over the years, have carved a deep cleft in the hillside that is home to gorse, rowans and stunted oaks. A raven circles overhead, its croak almost as old as the hills.BBC…
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370. Enjoy a deep and soothing connection with wild plants, with forager and botanist Robin Harford
Head out on an incredibly mindful, soothing – and rather wet – adventure at Budleigh Salterton estuary in Devon with celebrated ethno-botanical researcher Robin Harford. Robin has an astonishing knowledge of plants and reveals, through a technique he calls Domei, how we can all get closer to...
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Sound Escape 292. Be soothed and teased by the waters of the Witch's Pool
You follow a path through woods, high above a stream. There is wind high in the trees but you can hear falling water. Suddenly the path opens into a wide glade and find yourself beside high waterfalls tumbling into the Pwll y Wrach: the Witches' Pool.BBC Countryfile Magazine's Plodcast Sound...
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369. Learn how foraging can improve our bodies and minds on a wild wander in Herefordshire with Liz Knight
The Plodcast celebrates the start of autumn with a visit to deepest Herefordshire to go foraging with expert Liz Knight. Liz extols the power of plants we tend to despise: docks, nettles and thistles and shares some wonderful wisdom about the importance of making connections with people and…
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Sound Escape 291. The soft sounds of an autumn woodland walk
Recent rain has revived the woodland and you are compelled to take an evening walk in search of fungi along a stream and through the crunchy leaf litter. The strong, earthy scent of mushrooms fills the gloaming beneath beech trees, while grey wagtails skitter along the water.BBC Countryfile...
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368. Rewilding head, heart and landscape at the Sharpham Estate in Devon
Sometimes it's vital to take some time out and reconnect with nature and the present moment. The Sharpham Trust on the River Dart in Devon offers nature-based, mindful retreats at its beautiful 500-acre estate. As well as helping visitors find a more meaningful life, the Trust practices...
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Sound Escape 290. Soothing rain falling in a thirsty wood - and a marsh tit sings
After months of heatwaves and drought, it's blissful to wander through a wooden valley listening to rain falling on leaves. And as if summoned by the falling water, a rare marsh tit makes its sneezing call.BBC Countryfile Magazine's Plodcast Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the...
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367. A quest to find King Arthur with historian Amy Jeffs
The Plodcast heads to the Cotswolds this week in search of King Arthur. Historian and artist Amy Jeffs has written a new study exploring the earliest origins of the legendary king. Why was he so important to medieval people and what relevance does he have today? Plodcast host Fergus Collins meets...
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Sound Escape 289. Enjoy the song of the sea on the island of Sark
It's the morning after a storm on the island of Sark and you've followed a narrow track along a wooded valley that opens into a tiny cove. Taking shelter in a sea cave, you watch the animated waves roll onto the shingle.BBC Countryfile Magazine's Plodcast Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard...
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366. Harvesting walnuts with the Bishop of Bath and Wells in the Somerset Levels
This week, the Plodcast heads to Sharpham Park Farm in the Somerset Levels to join the 'Pickle Me Walnuts' day of harvesting and preparing young walnuts to make an ancient delicacy. Roger Saul is the owner of Sharpham Park and the inspiration behind the walnut grove and he talks to Plodcast host...
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Sound Escape 288. Join the crowds in Bristol witnessing 2026's the solar eclipse
On the crunchy parched grass of the Clifton Downs, you join the crowds gathering to witness the 2026 solar eclipse. As the atmosphere builds, people deploy eclipse glasses, colanders and home-made cardboard contraptions to view the astonishing event – culminating in a rousing round of…
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365. A quest to explore the wildlife of the River Thames with writer and naturalist Stephen Rutt
“A fulmar once vomited in my eye!” Writer and naturalist Stephen Rutt recalls his adventures following s raindrop from source to sea for his new book The Waterlands. This week's Plodcast host is Annabel Ross, who joins Stephen on the River Thames to hear his extraordinary tales – and some…
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Sound Escape 287. A blissful few moments beside a Welsh lake in high summer
There's nothing better on a hot afternoon than sitting in the cool of the reedbeds beside a lake. As you relax, wildlife emerges – waterbirds gossiping, bees and dragonflies buzzing and flitting, and curious plops and rustles from creatures that you can't see. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Plodcast...
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364. A walk in Suffolk with award-winning writer Melissa Harrison discussing her new novel The Given World
This week we welcome award-winning novelist and nature diarist Melissa Harrison to the Plodcast for the first time. Melissa's new novel, The Given World, is a dark and beautiful insight into the complexities of rural life in a rapidly changing world. Plodcast host Fergus Collins meets Melissa in...
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Sound Escape 286. In a parched landscape, the generous river provides life and music
Despite the endless drought, the river still runs. Reduced yes, but still a generous artery of life in a parched countryside. You sit beside it, cooled and reassured as numerous small birds: long-tailed tits, wrens and wagtails find similar sanctuary near the water. BBC Countryfile Magazine's...
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363. Learn about a plan to eradicate destructive, non-native predators
Since they escaped into the wild in the mid 20th century, American mink have wreaked havoc on our waterways, virtually wiping out water voles and other aquatic wildlife. But a new and highly effective plan is in place to clear these small, deadly predators from the countryside. Plodcast host…
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Sound Escape 285. Gentle breezes and summer melodies from a meadow in Sussex
It's too hot for gardening so you retire to a wildflower meadow where a cooling breeze and gentle conversations of sparrows and jackdaws soothe your soul.BBC Countryfile Magazine's Plodcast Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you…
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362. Enjoy and evening with long-eared owls and a lazy day's fishing with writer Kevin Parr
We head to Dorset this month to spend a day fishing at a lazy summer lake in the company of Plodcast regular Kevin Parr. But in a perfect Plodcast twist, Kev first has something amazing to reveal to Plodcast host Fergus – a remarkably rare bird in woods not far from his home. Listen on for...
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Sound Escape 284. Hear the beautiful music of a mountain spring in a dry summer landscape
Walking high in the parched hills you suddenly hear the welcome music of running water. After a brief search, you find a small cave mouth where a spring gushes continuously. The cool water is clear and clean. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Plodcast Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the...
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361. Discover the secret lives of our forgotten coastal communities with Natasha Carthew
When we go on holiday to the coast, we tend to overlook the stories of the people who live and work there. Natasha Carthew grew up in a working class community in Cornwall and has travelled around the UK's coast to discover the hidden world of the modern seaside. Plodcast host Fergus Collins…
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Sound Escape 283. Lose track of time gazing into the watery seashore
It’s a sunny morning on the seashore and the tide is going out. It’s Leaving behind shallow rockpools, perfect mirrors of the crisp, blue sky. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Plodcast Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere…
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360. Celebrate 100 years of Winnie the Pooh with new stories in 100 Acre Wood from Jane Riordan
Back in 1926, the first Winnie the Pooh book was published – and became one of the most loved children's stories of all time. One hundred years later, Plodcast host Fergus Collins joins Jane Riordan in the land of Pooh – Ashdown Forest in Sussex – to celebrate the work of AA Milne and EH Shepherd...
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Sound Escape 282. Immerse yourself in the manic action of a sand martin colony
As you crest a little riverside cliff, the air is filled with clicks, trills and buzzes. Squadrons of sand martins career wildly around you from their colony – a series of burrows dug into the sandy cliff face. The air is alive with aerobatic birds, including the first broods of this year's...
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359. Learn how to rewild yourself and your community with adventurer Alastair Humphreys
One of the biggest issues facing our wildlife and wild places is our own disconnection from the natural world. You've got to love it to save it, says this week's guest Alastair Humphreys. Plodcast host Fergus Collins meets Alastair on the River Medway in Kent to hear how we have become 'Unwilded'...
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Sound Escape 281. Listen to whitethroats and kestrels beside the River Medway in Kent
Walking beside the deep green River Medway in Kent, your path takes in a broad meander that curls around a wildflower-rich meadow. Blackcaps and whitethroats sing from hedges, young kestrels call for food and a song thrush vies with a skylark for performance of the day. BBC Countryfile Magazine's...
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358. Hear tales from the mill on a beautiful Hampshire chalkstream with Simon Cooper
Is the chalk stream the purest and most delightful natural habitat in England? Plodcast host Fergus Collins heads to the Hampshire-Wiltshire border to meet author and fly fisher Simon Cooper – who lives on a mill above one of these beautiful and rare waterways. It's the perfect chance to learn…
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Sound Escape 280. Gaze out across a coastal bay, rich with life
You’ve taken a break on the cliff path. A young family of ravens tilt and whirl beneath you. They seem so small against the outstretched sea. Near the shore its glittering surface is spotted with a colourful group of paddleboarders.BBC Countryfile Magazine's Plodcast Sound Escapes are a weekly...
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357. Enjoy a sea fishing adventure on the rocky coast of Dorset with Callum Harris
Cool off with a Plodcast adventure to Portland Bill, the southernmost tip of Dorset, to spend a day fishing with expert Callum Harris. The quest is to catch a ballan wrasse, a stunningly patterned fish that inhabits the rocky coves and gullies. Plodcast host Fergus Collins joins Callum in the…
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Sound Escape 279. Wander through a glistening woodland
It's an early summer morning. The sun is already shining through the woodland. Its gleaming rays dapple the well worn path. A gleeful chorus of birdsong welcomes the coming day.BBC Countryfile Magazine's Plodcast Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and...
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356. Witness the amazing power of the outdoors - and rescue hens - to help disadvantaged children
This week, the Plodcast visits Penstone Learning Centre – a farm on the edge of the town of Cheddar in Somerset where students who struggle in mainstream education – often with very challenging behaviour – are taught outdoors among the animals. The results are remarkable. Plodcast host Fergus is...
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Sound Escape 278. Wind down on a hazy Welsh clifftop
It’s evening on the clifftop. You’re sitting on short grass. It’s still holding the heat of the day, and it’s as soft and warm as a blanket. For the nearby lambs, it’s time for bed.BBC Countryfile Magazine's Plodcast Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax...
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355. Head to the Hebridean island of Bute to meet naturalist and author Lucy Lapwing
This week, the Plodcast heads to the island of Bute off Scotland's west coast to meet author and naturalist Lucy Lapwing to talk about her new book Love is a Toad – discussing relationships with nature with naturalist friends. Annabel Ross wanders Bute's shores with Lucy. Lucy's book is published...
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Sound Escape 277. Be calmed and cooled by rainfall in an ancient woodland
High in the hills you enter a deep valley, green with the exuberant growth of early summer. As you wander into the woods listening to birdsong, the oak, beech and hazel gently shelter you from the soft rain.BBC Countryfile Magazine's Plodcast Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the...
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354. Chelsea Flower Show Special part 2: In the ancient woodland garden at the show
After exploring the wild inspiration for the Woodland Trust's Forgotten Forests garden at the Chelsea Flower show in last week's episode, Plodcast host Fergus Collins heads to Chelsea on Press Day to see the finished garden. He meets up again with garden designer Ashleigh Aylett and Nick Philips...
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Sound Escape 276. The vibrant bird-chatter of an African island
You deserve a break. Basking in the sun’s amber rays, on an island just off the coast of Africa, you take in the effervescent birdsong and lush vegetation. You’ve never seen so many shades of green. The glistening palm leaves sway, and lull you into a deep sense of calm.BBC Countryfile Magazine's...
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353. Chelsea Flower Show Special part 1: Exploring Penn Wood, the inspiration for the Woodland Trust's Chelsea Garden
Britain's ancient woodlands are under threat and the Woodland Trust is fighting to save them with its Forgotten Forests campaign. In line with this, the Trust has asked award-winning garden designer Ashleigh Aylett to create an ancient woodland garden for the Chelsea Flower Show, the world's most...
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Sound Escape 275. The enchanted buzz of a honeysuckle plant
Sitting beside a honeysuckle plant blooming in the late spring garden, you are lulled by the hum of many bees, while swallows twitter overhead – and a song thrush elbows his way into the conversation with a delightful rendition of all his Maytime hits.BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are…
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352. Escape to the stunningly beautiful wilds of Torridon in the Scottish Highlands
Plodcast host Fergus Collins ventures into the stunning mountainous region of Torridon on the west coast of Scotland to explore the lochs, woods and peaks for the first time. With two friends, he embarks on a wild fishing expedition and meets some of the extraordinary local wildlife.Plus, this...
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Sound Escape 274. A chorus of cuckoos and song thrushes above Loch Torridon
As the dawn sun blazes over the wide Loch Torridon below, birds stir in the sheltered, verdant glen that runs down to the shore. A strident song thrush, a soft cuckoo – and not a sound of human activity.BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to...
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351. Explore a marvellous garden of bees with writer and expert Dave Goulson
Professor Dave Goulson is one of Britain's foremost experts on bee ecology and conservation. And his Sussex garden is a magnificent example of how to create the perfect haven for our most precious pollinators.Plodcast host Fergus Collins enjoys a tour of this mini nature reserve and meets some of...
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Sound Escape 273. Hear the magic of willow warblers and chaffinches on the Isle of Purbeck
A mid-spring morning on the heath. Showers scud through on a brisk breeze, chased by the sun and a steady trickle of southerly arrivals. Among the grey peel of silver birch, a willow warbler and a chaffinch sing their steady descent. A wistful melancholy as the gorse begins to glow.BBC…
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350. A quest to find hidden urban wildlife with Amanda Tuke on the streets of Cardiff
We head into the city this week with urban naturalist Amanda Tuke. Amanda is a champion of the nature on your doorstep so Plodcast host Fergus Collins met her outside Cardiff Central station to begin a quest to find wildlife on a ramble through the busy city. Listen on for a Plodcast full of...
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Sound Escape 272. Relax to the evening symphony of an oak woodland - led by a song thrush
Late afternoon meets the first tendrils of dusk and the oakwoods are empty of people. Instead, birdsong fills the half-light beneath the trees: song thrush, great tit, chiffchaff and blackbird weave their spring melodies into an enchantment. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly...
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349. Haunting folk tales and beautiful art inspired by nature with Jackie Morris and Tamsin Abbott
Head into a quiet, magical corner of Herefordshire to meet artists Jackie Morris and Tamsin Abbott who have collaborated to create Wild Folk: Tales From the Stones – stories of folklore, of nature, of landscape, love and sorrow. Plodcast host Fergus Collins was lucky enough to meet the pair and...
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Sound Escape 271. Gaze over the sun-kissed sea on the South-West coast
It's a hazy morning on the South-West coast. The sun's rays disperse across the silent waves, glittering over passing boats. A choir of birds greet you, as you sit and watch the world awaken.BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you…
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348. A quest to discover the secret of painter John Constable's genius - with Susan Owens
Painter John Constable (1776-1837) is today one of the most celebrated painters of the English countryside. But in his lifetime his efforts to capture the true essence of nature and rural life were often rejected by his peers. What made him so special and why is he so revered now?Now, on the…
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Sound Escape 270. Be entranced by a sensational dawn chorus from Dorset
A cool dawn, dew-dampened and soft air. In these folds of West Dorset, it will be another hour before the sun reaches above the sharp-edged ridge in the south east, but below, where the blackthorn blossom is almost spent, the birds are in full voice.The familiar voices, blackbird, song thrush and...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
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
HOSTED BY
Our Media
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Plodcast have?
The Plodcast currently has 696 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Plodcast about?
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...
How often does The Plodcast release new episodes?
The Plodcast releases new episodes frequently with a large back catalog of 696 episodes. Check the episode list for recent publication dates.
Where can I listen to The Plodcast?
You can listen to The Plodcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Plodcast?
The Plodcast is created and hosted by Our Media.
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