BBC Countryfile Magazine

I can’t save the world with just my patch of nettle and thorns, but I can feed the birds that live and visit here, year after year after year.” This recent Twitter comment by farmer Cat Frampton hit home with me. Individually, we can’t tackle climate

Resembling abstract art, the mosaic-patterned wing underside gives these small pearl-bordered fritillary butterflies their name, with each wing bordered by seven ‘pearls’. Favouring damp habitats, the species forms colonies in the woods, heaths, wetl

UK water vole numbers have crashed by almost 90% in the past 10 years. The National Water Vole Monitoring Programme aims to stop this decline by gathering information on the whereabouts of water voles to help guide conservation efforts – and they nee

April and asparagus can’t come soon enough. British spears are hand-harvested and a plentiful crop is reliant on a cool, crisp early spring. Asparagus steamed with butter is delicious, but midway through the growing season, I like to make a tart. • 4

First thing on Easter Sunday, you’ll find me tip-toeing out of the house and down to the chicken coop. While trying not to disturb the hens too much, I will pick a freshly laid egg for my breakfast. It’s not something I do every day but, on special o

"I have learned a number of things during lockdown. Some of them are truly positive, such as the generosity, cohesion and support of my local community. Or the enhanced tidiness and beauty of rural roads. Some of them, however, are not. And, for me,

Watch Charlotte Smith and Matt Baker in Kent’s High Weald, 6 March; available on iPlayer It is spring at Brogdale Farm, near the old market town of Faversham in north-east Kent. Amid the orchards of the National Fruit Collection, sunlight filters thr

There’s no shortage of fine places to eat as you travel from north to south across Kent. Start with breakfast and some grocery shopping in Faversham, have lunch near Hawkhurst and dine in Kilndown at one of the county’s epicurean treats. Selling the

Receive a copy of Matt Baker’s new book! Subscribe online or call us WWW.BUYSUBSCRIPTIONS.COM CFP188 03330 162112† Quote code CFP188 †UK calls will cost the same as other standard fixed line numbers (starting 01 or 02) and are included as part of any

The image of a flu y little chick emerging from a hen’s egg after popping open the ‘lid’ is a sugary exaggeration of what really happens. The truth is no less remarkable: simply escaping the egg is the first potentially lethal challenge of many in th

call it the fragrant frost. It arrives with a shiver at winter’s end when a cruel north-east wind blows – so the legends say, but then folklore has never seen the best in blackthorn. It is true enough that the hills seem dozy, with trees bare and som

Good data analysis balances the amount of carbon a farm sequesters. Costs are cut on chemicals, while profits and biodiversity are improved. Natural capital features, such as restored field and riparian margins, are valued and used to increase predat

Mowing, raking, spraying and clipping were the order of the day in the traditional gardening background that I come from. In the past, there was little problem in having a garden full of exotic plants in a highly managed and tamed area around our hom

I spent my childhood mowing the grass almost on a weekly basis. I now cut and remove the meadow once a year when the wildflowers have flowered and set seed. It’s important to remove the grass as this keeps the soil fertility low, thereby allowing wil

Our lane is bunny central. Arriving after dusk, you will almost always see between one and two dozen lolloping, furry forms in the space of 100 metres. They are regulars in the garden, and one morning I came down to my study to find a youngster campe

Rabbits have long been central to the character of the East Anglian Brecks. The area’s relatively dry climate and sandy soils are reminiscent of the species’ original Mediterranean habitat and, being unsuited to arable agriculture, made the perfect p

Delicate violet-blue blooms nod and sway in the breeze atop slender emerald-green stalks of flax on a hazy June day. The gentle rumble and whirr of wooden spinning wheels floats on the air as a small group sits beside the field turning flax fibres in

www.countryfile.com/walks From cosy cottage stays in the Yorkshire Dales to back-to-nature bothy adventures in the Brecon Beacons, our round-up of affordable walking holidays has something for everyone IN ASSOCIATION WITH OS map images: © Crown copyr

Walking weekends nourish body and soul. Trekking just that little bit further increases our exposure to fresh air and the restorative phytoncides plants release, while the satisfaction that accompanies singing muscles, tingling skin and a hearty appe

The Scottish Access Code describes ‘wild camping’ as being lightweight, done in small numbers and for up to three nights in one place. Avoid enclosed fields, buildings, roads or historic structures. Leave no litter or trace of your pitch or fire, and

“I need nothing more.” These words are scrawled in capital letters on the ceiling of Grwyne Fawr bothy, a tiny stone hut next to a mountain stream that feeds the reservoir. This is a sentiment undoubtedly shared by many of the walkers who seek shelte

As April arrives, we all want to get outdoors in the fresh spring air, right? A stay in Burnham Deepdale, in the heart of Nelson territory in North Norfolk, is a great option and one that isn’t going to break the bank in this rather pricey area. Jaso

Spring brings hope and renewal. New shoots burst through warmed earth; days fill with light. The Hope Pilgrimage offers a three-day, 30-mile hike from Edale’s garden-of-Eden beauty to the now-thriving ‘plague village’ of Eyam, taking in Hope Valley.

New charity Access the Dales is committed to making the Yorkshire Dales more accessible by growing the number of locations where those with mobility disabilities can borrow an all-terrain wheelchair. I started the charity in memory of my late husband

If the Mourne Mountains are the walking Mecca of Northern Ireland, then Meelmore Lodge is the hiker’s haven that lies at its heart. With a location on the lower slopes of Slieve Meelmore, guests can embark on some of the region’s most famous hikes di

9 MILES 14.5KM 6 8 HOURS CHALLENGING Nestled in wooded Heddon Valley, this bothy offers the chance for both riverside picnics and traditional food at Hunter’s Inn. Pack a torch – it’s a fair walk to the loo and the night skies are dark. Precipitously

photo of the month This month’s winner receives a pair of Ariat Skyline Mid Waterproof boots, worth £130. The boots are mesh-lined and made with waterproof full-grain leather, plus a shock-absorbing EVA midsole and extra wear protection around the to

Garbh Bheinn is a slumping brute of a mountain, shoulders bare and beaten, the colour of February rain. Kinder in character is Mam na Gualainn, softly ridged and rambling with a simpering south face. And then there is Sgorr na Ciche – the unmistakabl

An ecologist’s tale of the battle to boost biodiversity while keeping a farm afloat BY LEE SCHOFIELD, TRANSWORLD, £20 HB A vein of mistrust and suspicion runs through Wild Fell like lines in a stick of rock; seeking to navigate the yin and yang of wi

1. Which famous sea captain learnt to sail at Overy Staithe in Norfolk? □ a) Captain Cook □ b) Francis Drake □ c) Horatio Nelson □ d) Henry Hudson 2. Stock, rock and collared are all species of what? □ a) Sheep □ b) Frog □ c) Dove □ d) Moth 3. Which

“There is a purposefully upbeat tone of voice across press releases from many conservation charities, despite their tidings. Sound the emergency alarm once again but sweeten it with a motivating sighting of a longendangered species: look at the survi

From mysterious prehistoric landscapes to grand country houses and castles, discover the history and heritage of this much-loved national park Make the most of May on brilliant days out in havens buzzing with life Intimate insight into the world of a