BBC Countryfile Magazine

“Stop the clocks. Make the weekends four days long. Book lots of time off. It’s May – the most exciting time of the year if you love wildlife. Birdsong hits a peak in the first week, with migrants chorusing with resident birds. Every species of tree

A mighty oak stands resplendent in the foreground as Sugar Loaf, looming behind, demonstrates what heady height really looks like. Taken in Crickhowell, Powys, this image draws the eye from the tree’s fresh-leaf luminosity to the dark volcanic-shaped

• 4–6 eggs, at room temperature• 7 50g small–medium new potatoes, scrubbed• 1 2 asparagus spears• A bunch of spring onions, thinly sliced• A few handfuls of soft herbs, such as flat-leaf parsley, chives, chervil or basil • 2 tsp Dijon or English must

I am lucky to live 15 minutes or so from work. The road there – being pavementless, winding, narrow and high-hedged – is not safe enough to walk or cycle on, and though there are footpaths to get me there, they take an hour and a half. There is even

I know I’m in Wales but my brain won’t compute. Scotland it suggests, maybe Brittany? Trying to process the shimmer, the tidal whoosh, the lattice of twisted branches, it refers to memory – perhaps ancient memory. Irrigated by an oceanic climate, oak

Public transport is very helpful in summer when the narrow lanes are congested with tourists, making passage for tractors difficult. There are railway stations at Pembroke, Pembroke Dock, Tenby and Haverfordwest with smaller request stops en route. T

I didn’t really believe that Britain was a rainforest nation until I moved to Devon. Visiting woods around the edge of Dartmoor, in lost valleys and steep-sided gorges, I found places exuberant with life. I spotted branches dripping with mosses, fest

A marine disaster, including the deaths of thousands of lobsters and crabs and some octopuses, along with dog poisoning, unfolded in late 2021 off the north-east coast of England. Explanations for the loss of life have ranged from a novel pathogen to

The landscape of Lower Wensleydale is one of narrow lanes that swoop and curve following the swell of the land. Bordered by drystone walls and fences, they cross rivers on old stone bridges or undulate between flail-cut hedges and ivy-covered trees.

The Yorkshire Sculpture Park – where Simon Palmer’s work is on display this spring – was the first of its kind in the UK. It is also the largest sculpture park in Europe, sitting in 202 hectares of parkland at Bretton Hall in West Yorkshire. This ‘ga

It’s easy to see why the RSPB chose Dr Amir Khan as their new president. He is so enthusiastic about being out in nature, and if he can manage it on a regular basis then so can we – he has more commitments than anyone I’ve ever met. Dr Khan is first

If you were asked to compile a list of birds celebrated in British culture, what would you say? Nightingale, skylark and robin perhaps? Owl or swan, possibly? My guess is that you wouldn’t think of the corncrake, but it’s there, like an occasional fa

World famous for its unique gardens, each with their own distinctive style and story, Highgrove is a glorious testament to the gardening passion of Charles III. For the past 40 years, foremost garden designers have worked alongside the-then Prince of

Centuries of royal gardeners have transformed this riverside palace into a playground for monarchs and a delight for horticulturalists. Henry VIII led his wives through richly patterned knot gardens alive with gilded heraldic beasts, before tempting

A glorious celebration of gardens awaits visitors to this much-loved country retreat of the British royal family. Set within 240 hectares of waymarked parkland, the House and adjoining gardens have been developed by each monarch since 1863, when Quee

Rising from the still waters of its encircling moat, this fairytale castle was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII. It was Henry’s passion and Anne’s insistence on marriage that altered the course of English history. With the

With more than 40 hectares of ornamental gardens, peaceful waterways and picturesque glens, Hillsborough Castle is a year-round attraction for all the family. Owned by the Anglo-Irish Downshire family since the 1600s, the grounds have hosted magnific

Perched atop arcaded garden terraces, the castle of Powis towers over the surrounding landscape, with views over the Severn Valley. A stronghold of Welsh princes, the castle combines medieval majesty with Renaissance-style gardens. Gruffudd ap Gwenwy

As intricately patterned as an embroidered sampler, this recreated 17th-century garden commemorates the dramatic arrival of King Charles II at Moseley Old Hall in 1651. Fleeing from the Parliamentarian Army in the wake of disastrous defeat at the Bat

By: John Dear Where: Attenborough Nature Reserve, Nottingham “I took this image of a comma butterfly on a glorious midsummer day last year. I got several images, but I particularly liked this one because the blue sky highlighted the comma’s beautiful

DIRECTOR: HETTIE MACDONALD RELEASED NATIONWIDE ON 28 APRIL A runaway success when published, Rachel Joyce’s beautiful novel tells the tale of pensioner Harold Fry, who sets out on a 600-mile walk from Kingsbridge to Berwick-upon-Tweed. Harold’s chanc

BY SALLY HUBAND HUTCHINSON HEINEMANN, £18.99 (HB) Sea beans are the seeds of tropical vines that drift from the Americas, sometimes for decades, before miraculously reaching our shores. Fishing folk once treasured them as tiny talismans. Newly settle

BY MIKE DILGER BLOOMSBURY WILDLIFE, £17.99 (HB) When Covid shook the world, presenter and author Mike Dilger (One Show and Gadget Show) was forced to take a slower pace of life. After years of chasing the moving targets of the UK’s bird and wildlife

BY JAMES CANTON CANONGATE, £18.99 (HB) James Canton is curious. What makes a place sacred? He visits sites near his home in South England, such as the chapel at Little Gidding and the long barrow at West Kennet. Canton wants to “step into the minds”

This special edition features advice on designing your garden from the world’s top garden designers, including top tips for redesigning your plot or creating a new garden from scratch. Discover eight inspirational gardens in town and country, and bea

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

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“I love it when my unknown prejudices are proven wrong. Like the old guy we were about to film with on a remote goat farm who ambled out of his house and about whom I instantly made 100 assumptions: he will have lived in this place his whole life; on

“Stop the clocks. Make the weekends four days long. Book lots of time off. It’s May – the most exciting time of the year if you love wildlife. Birdsong hits a peak in the first week, with migrants chorusing with resident birds. Every species of tree

Gardeners, councils and landowners across the UK are gearing up for No Mow May, letting their lawns, verges and grasslands grow freely to give nature a boost. Campaign research has revealed that mowing your lawn less frequently can provide enough nec

You will need: stiff hand brush; some warm water (or a specialist boot cleaning product); soft hand brush or sponge. 1. Use a stiff brush to remove the worst of the mud or dirt from the upper and outsole (tread) of the boot. To avoid getting your hou

Sylvia atricapilla The only warbler to visit garden feeders, this has a distinctive black (male) or brown (female) cap and a strong, fluty song. Common, here March–October. Sylvia borin A classic small brown bird of tall scrub, the garden warbler has

• 4–6 eggs, at room temperature• 7 50g small–medium new potatoes, scrubbed• 1 2 asparagus spears• A bunch of spring onions, thinly sliced• A few handfuls of soft herbs, such as flat-leaf parsley, chives, chervil or basil • 2 tsp Dijon or English must

I am lucky to live 15 minutes or so from work. The road there – being pavementless, winding, narrow and high-hedged – is not safe enough to walk or cycle on, and though there are footpaths to get me there, they take an hour and a half. There is even

A mighty oak stands resplendent in the foreground as Sugar Loaf, looming behind, demonstrates what heady height really looks like. Taken in Crickhowell, Powys, this image draws the eye from the tree’s fresh-leaf luminosity to the dark volcanic-shaped

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Milford Haven Waterway is 16 miles long between Angle and Neyland, its deep waters concealing cliffs and diverse sponge communities. Intertidal and subtidal eelgrass beds and quiet muddy bays are found in the busy shipping channel (left). The mood ch

Public transport is very helpful in summer when the narrow lanes are congested with tourists, making passage for tractors difficult. There are railway stations at Pembroke, Pembroke Dock, Tenby and Haverfordwest with smaller request stops en route. T

• Choose your welcome reward* National Trust hedgehog house or a New England nestbox • Save 30% off the shop price and pay just £22.99 every six issues* • Free UK delivery direct to your door • Never miss an issue of your ultimate guide to the Britis

I didn’t really believe that Britain was a rainforest nation until I moved to Devon. Visiting woods around the edge of Dartmoor, in lost valleys and steep-sided gorges, I found places exuberant with life. I spotted branches dripping with mosses, fest

I know I’m in Wales but my brain won’t compute. Scotland it suggests, maybe Brittany? Trying to process the shimmer, the tidal whoosh, the lattice of twisted branches, it refers to memory – perhaps ancient memory. Irrigated by an oceanic climate, oak

Why not set out on a quest to explore a rainforest this year? Visit Guy’s website to discover more locations: lostrainforestsofbritain.org The site of an ‘accidental rainforest’, this common has spectacularly regenerated over the past century, so tha

A marine disaster, including the deaths of thousands of lobsters and crabs and some octopuses, along with dog poisoning, unfolded in late 2021 off the north-east coast of England. Explanations for the loss of life have ranged from a novel pathogen to

English Heritage and Historic England have announced the acquisition of two vast henge monuments and their surrounding landscape near Ripon in North Yorkshire. The two 200m-diameter henges, known as Thornborough Henges, form part of a Neolithic compl

Freeports are similar to free zones, or ‘enterprise zones’ – designated areas intended to stimulate economic growth, with the benefits of tax breaks and Government support. A freeport is designed to specifically encourage businesses that import, proc

The landscape of Lower Wensleydale is one of narrow lanes that swoop and curve following the swell of the land. Bordered by drystone walls and fences, they cross rivers on old stone bridges or undulate between flail-cut hedges and ivy-covered trees.

The Yorkshire Sculpture Park – where Simon Palmer’s work is on display this spring – was the first of its kind in the UK. It is also the largest sculpture park in Europe, sitting in 202 hectares of parkland at Bretton Hall in West Yorkshire. This ‘ga

Arundel Castle in West Sussex is regarded as one of the top tulip displays in Europe, showcasing more than 120 different tulip types and over 100,000 flowers. Look out for Purple Passionale, White Triumphator, Angelique, Curley Sue and Flaming Spring

It’s easy to see why the RSPB chose Dr Amir Khan as their new president. He is so enthusiastic about being out in nature, and if he can manage it on a regular basis then so can we – he has more commitments than anyone I’ve ever met. Dr Khan is first

Machair is usually described as grassland growing on lime-rich shell sand and it is unique to north-west Scotland and Ireland. Some experts say it’s really defined by the traditional rotational farming (or crofting) system in these areas, that includ