BBC Countryfile Magazine

September is a rather reflective month. Children are heading back to school and parents return to work – all with a certain trepidation. The countryside is quieter as the birds have fallen silent and fewer people are holidaying. But for our farming c

A glorious September vision of a productive vegetable plot woven with cottage-garden floral fantasies. This is Aberglasney in Carmarthenshire, a magnificently restored garden of four hectares blending walled and sunken gardens with Elizabethan cloist

Every September, the heavens seem obligated to deliver two gifts to growers up and down the country: an Indian summer and autumn chill. This month I do daily checks on the ripening winter squashes, making sure fruit is intact, attached to the plant,

During a recent bat and dormice survey by the University of Cambridge and Froglife, volunteers were surprised to find common toads living in nest boxes and tree cavities. The exciting discovery of arboreal behaviour in common toads means that tree ca

The Plodcast is the award-winning nature and countryside podcast presented and produced by the BBC Countryfile Magazine team. Editor Fergus Collins is your host, so join us each week as we head off into the wild outdoors in search of adventures and s

Mail-order veg boxes have grown hugely in popularity over the past few years, and Silly Greens has embraced this movement, but with a twist: you do part of the growing yourself. The microgreens – herbs and vegetables eaten when they’re small seedling

Easy to assemble, this showstopper of a pudding makes good use of September’s favourite fruit, the plum. A fiery trio of ginger biscuits, ginger cordial and crystallised ginger complements the juicy plums and toasted almonds beautifully. Best made an

In this ‘Field to Fashion’ special, Anita Rani is in Blackburn to help designer and Great British Sewing Bee judge Patrick Grant harvest a crop of flax. Grant is on a mission to revive the UK’s flax-growing and linen-making industry, from seed to sew

Farming on the high, wide-open Cotswold landscape brings its challenges, especially when the weather does its worst. I could fill a book with stories of brutal gale-force winds, torrential downpours, icy fields frozen solid and snowdrifts bringing ev

“The water has, unsurprisingly, been very low in our downland village pond this summer. Water does not stay on the high chalk; the rounded hills shed it quickly, or it percolates through porous chalk aquifers to trickle out, months later, into chalk

Standing on deck, I watch the famous sweep of land, stretching down to the sea on its north side, that tells you it’s unmistakeably Eigg. The sun bursts through the clouds, transforming the island from a uniform grey into a wash of colour, contours a

The only way to get to Eigg is by boat (and note, only foot passengers) either by CalMac ferry from Mallaig (calmac.co.uk), or on the Sheerwater from Arisaig (arisaig.co.uk/sheerwatertimetable/). The only cars on the island are those of the residents

It’s a sunny spring day in Somerset, with a hint of chill in the air. I’m on the Levels: 250 miles of coastal plain scattered with villages and farms, and one of England’s dairy heartlands, home of the world-famous Cheddar cheese. Cattle speckle its

when you subscribe to BBC Countryfile Magazine Great reasons to subscribe… • Lock in a low rate now for a year! Just £38.90 for one year’s subscription. • SAVE 40% off the shop price – only £2.99 per issue. • Free UK delivery direct to your door! • N

Eating al fresco in autumn is a joy. With the weather still holding out and the days relatively long, this is a terrific time of year to pack up a picnic and make plans for a good stomp in the countryside. Fortunately for those of us interested in co

Pollution levels that have turned most of England’s rivers into dirty, dangerous sewers are, quite frankly, a national disgrace. In its first major investigation, a powerful new watchdog is questioning the roles played by the water services regulator

I have lost count of the times that I’ve introduced myself as a “farmer’s daughter”. I feel strangely compelled to flag my connection to land and to agriculture; it is often one of the first things people learn about me. I can trace this conversation

I It’s the day of the village agricultural show and the paper-covered benches of the produce marquee are lined with cakes and jellies, honey, eggs and marrows. But it’s the explosion of colour that dominates the display, as huge blooms of dahlias are

Standing at the head of Loch Broom in Ross and Cromarty, I am watching a magnificent white-tailed eagle hunt for prey. Nearby is the road north to Ullapool; to the south-east the bare summit of Beinn Dearg looming over a deserted interior of high loc

Bad weather is good at highlighting poor clothing choices. I’d chosen to wear walking boots for my trip to Margent Farm as it was a wet summer’s day. But as owner Steve Barron walked me through the rain-soaked, knee-high grass surrounding one of his

Meet the producers, wander the fields and sample the best of British food on a visit to some of our most exciting and innovative farms this harvest season OS map images: © Crown copyright Ordnance Survey Photo: St Martin’s Vineyard ■

It is easy to forget that most of the countryside landscapes we love are looked after by our farmers and growers. From Devon’s patchwork fields to remote Highland crofts, the food this hard-working community grows doesn’t just impact our nation’s hea

When farm owner Chris Skinner realised he was putting in all the hours under the sun only to sell his produce at a loss, he knew it was time for a change. In 2010, Chris sold his beloved combine harvester and, with the help of a Government grant, set

At the head of the sweeping valley of Swaledale, you will find the remote Yorkshire Dales farm of Ravenseat. Footpaths coming from Keld, Nine Standards Rigg and the Tan Hill Inn (the highest pub in England) all pass through or nearby the 81-hectare f

Deep rhythmic rumblings reverberate around the farmyard. Astonishingly loud yet – so soporific. I’ve never heard a pig snoring before. Save for birdsong and hen-cluck, it is the only audible noise and holds me captive. The isolation of a simple, prim

Journey from the British mainland to the Isles of Scilly, a tiny archipelago 28 miles off the coast of Cornwall, and you feel as though you’re arriving in another world. These five inhabited islands are small patchworks of subtropical gardens and whi

In its upper reaches, the valley of the Coquet, Northumberland’s second river, squeezes between the fell sandstones of the Harbottle hills and the steep slopes of the Cheviot volcanics. Its atmosphere fluctuates from a near silence, broken by rivertr

Bordered to the north-west by the bountiful River Spey and to the south by towering mountains, Rothiemurchus Estate in Strathspey incorporates some of the Cairngorms National Park’s most stunning landscapes. The privately owned, 9,700-hectare estate

Many paths traverse Cwm Nantcol, from over the mountain range of Y Rhinogydd, or the village of Llanbedr. Once we hiked up from the south. Having just crossed Pont Scethin, the bridge used by drovers leading cattle from the coastal plain to Dolgellau

PREPARING OUR FARM FOR THE FUTURE “As our farming industry experiences the biggest shift in generations – from economic pressures, environmental changes and policy alterations – we, too, have gone through an entire structural change on our family far

A compelling book to help you reconnect to our rivers BY AMY-JANE BEER BLOOMSBURY WILDLIFE, £18.99 (HB) This book is all about rivers, and I mean all – from the complexities of the water cycle, through the Severn bore, to the chaos and industry of be

photo of the month By: Paul Dyer Where: Langford Lakes, Wiltshire “This red-footed falcon was filling up on a dinner of dragonflies before making its long journey abroad.” By: Vicky Stovell Where: Old Winchester Hill, Hampshire “This is a place that

Share your views and opinions by writing to us at: Have your say: BBC Countryfile Magazine, Eagle House, Bristol BS1 4ST; or email editor@countryfile.com, tweet us @CountryfileMag or via Facebook facebook.com/countryfilemagazine *We reserve the right

In changeable weather – on blustery hills or coast path, for example – a windproof like this is a useful option for hikers. It’s so light you can hardly feel it, yet it will keep chill winds out – so you can maintain a comfortable temperature. This o

1. On 28 June 1746, who did Flora MacDonald help to escape the Hebridean island of Benbecula? a) Rob Roy b) Bonnie Prince Charlie c) William Wallace d) Mary, Queen of Scots 2. Approximately how many sheep are there in the UK? a) 3 million b) 13 milli

Discover Nidderdale, a stunning valley outside the Yorkshire Dales National Park that time and tourism have forgotten Plus… • The best rural TV and radio from 100 years of the BBC • See the winners of the Countryfile Calendar Competition • 15 unbeata

Put a lone human in front of the ocean, the sky or a fire and under they go, into a primal hypnosis. Some kind of brain-calm descends on the observer, a retina flash to a distant time. For most of two million years, we have used fire, delivering bett