Best Christmas Markets around the UK 2022 | Countryfile.com

As we near the end of 2022, Christmas markets and winter fairs begin to pop up across the UK. Appearing in our cities, market towns, villages and stately homes, each is a nostalgic blend of traditional ingredients. Who can resist the aroma of mulled cider, roasted chestnuts and freshly baked mince pies? What about the gorgeous metallic tones of a local brass band as they play the opening bars of Silent Night, accompanied by the angelic voices of the local infant school choir? Add in twinkling l

Podcast: Join a wild bee rescue mission near the New Forest | Countryfile.com

In this extraordinary episode, we head to the edge of the New Forest to meet Debs 'Totty' Cruttenden – a self taught beekeeper who rescues wild swarms of honeybees. She’s a quite magical person and her deep knowledge of the lives and behaviour of honeybees. We begin in the garden of neighbour who has spotted a swarm in a conifer tree. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: editor@countryfile.com

Day out: Porth Nanven, Cornwall | Countryfile.com

Porth Nanven, or Cot Beach as it’s known locally, is a secluded spot on the west coast of Cornwall’s south-western tip. It lies at the mouth of a valley, about a mile’s walk from the pretty town of St Just, characterised by its granite miners cottages. Park for free at the main St Just car park, behind the library, to enjoy a lovely mile-long walk down to the beach. Alternatively, park by the beach itself and miss out the stroll through Cot Valley. From the town, head south along Bosborne Terr

Podcast: cheese-making on a Devon farm | Countryfile.com

Smell the hay, meets the cows and hear the skylarks on Quicke's farm in Devon where they produce award-winning cheddar cheese using traditional methods. Tanya Jackson meets farmer and cheesemaker Mary Quicke and discovers that some of the secrets to producing great-tasting cheese lie in the way Mary works with nature and her landscape. Later in the Plodcast, the team test whether Devon's method of eating scones (cream first then jam) is superior to that of Cornwall (where the jam goes on first)

Podcast: singing with nightingales in Sussex | Countryfile.com

Wrap up warm, wear your softest clothes and step out into the night with folk singer Sam Lee and violinist Anna Phoebe to listen to nightingales singing in a Sussex woodland. Sam and Anna sing and play while the birds respond with bursts of incredible natural music. A spellbinding experience. You can also find the Plodcast on all good podcast providers including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Podfollow Presented by Tanya Jackson with Maria Hodson. Discover more with Sam's superb book on nighting

First pedigree British White Cattle calf born at Blenheim Estate | Countryfile.com

A pedigree British White Cattle calf has been born at Blenheim Estate as part of a reintroduction programme. It is one of seven to be born at the Oxfordshire site in recent days, with another six on the way, ready to join the existing herd. The herd was introduced into an ancient oak woodland on the 2,000-acre Oxfordshire estate known as High Park three years ago, to trample undergrowth and clear spaces for acorns from the ancient oaks to germinate and grow. Head Shepherd Tom Locke said, “With

Neolithic railway discovered during HS2 dig | Countryfile.com

This story was an April Fools joke for 2022. We hope you enjoyed it. Contractors digging a section of HS2 outside Birmingham have discovered a series of parallel rows of monoliths running for hundreds of metres. Some archaeologists believe the stones, which are laid end-to-end, form the basis of a primitive tramway system. “The position of these huge granite stones is unlike anything we’ve ever seen from this period,” said Professor Doug Deaper, from the South Shropshire Neolithic Institute, w

Best UK cottages with electric charging points | Countryfile.com

Is there any nicer piece of research you can do than planning a holiday break? Seeing where to go, what wildlife to see, where to eat and drink, which nearby landscapes you can explore. Of course, for those 395,000 of the population who own electric vehicles, everything becomes about the pitstops. Free electric car charging points are increasing throughout the UK, but they’re far from ubiquitous yet, and no-one wants to find themselves with a flat battery halfway up the M1. Increasingly, holid
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