The Plodcast

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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

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676 episodes
Updated Friday

Episodes676

Newest first

Sep 28, 2021 · 1 hr 3 min
118. On the hunt for mystery big cats on the loose in the Cotswolds
There are tales of mysterious black panthers from almost every corner of the land – so we head out with writer and naturalist James Fair to look into one particular story: the Cotswold Cat. Could large felines really be on the loose in the modern Briti...
Sep 24, 2021 · 11 min
Sound Escape 31: the calming patter of rain on autumn leaves
Listen to the calming sound of a gentle rain on the leaves of beech and hazel trees while you shelter in a green lane in the Cotswolds. Recorded by Fergus Collins, introduced by Hannah Tribe. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes offer a soothi...
Sep 21, 2021 · 41 min
117. Poetry, peace and corncrakes on the sacred Scottish island of Iona
Relax to the gentle tones of poet Kenneth Steven as he explores the history and magic of Iona: likely birthplace of the ancient Book of Kells, resting place of Scottish kings and queens and sanctuary for the endangered corncrake. Find our more about Ke...
Sep 17, 2021 · 9 min
Sound Escape 30: Tranquil footsteps along a woodland path and stream in autumn
Relax as you walk beside a stream at the bottom of a valley of beech and oak woodland in the Brecon Beacons – known as St Mary's Vale. This is episode 30 of BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound escapes – your chance to escape into nature and rela...
Sep 14, 2021 · 56 min
116. Unearthing the strange histories of the yew trees of Kingley Vale with poet Hugh Dunkerley
Poet Hugh Dunkerley explores mysterious Kingley Vale in the South Downs of West Sussex in search of a bunker created to house resistance fighters in the event of the Nazis ever invading Britain. Along the way he enters the dark and eerie yew woods and ...
Sep 10, 2021 · 13 min
Sound Escape 29: relax on a Gower headland while gulls call above and a tractor gathers hay
Listen to gulls as you sit on a headland overlooking the sea on the south Gower coast. Nearby a tractor bales hay as the last rays of afternoon sun light the fields. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes give you a gentle, relaxing postcard of ...
Sep 7, 2021 · 58 min
115. Climbing the epic peak of Suilven in Assynt in northern Scotland
Suilven is one of Scotland's most impressive peaks. Fergus Collins joins two old friends for an expedition to climb this magnificent mountain in Assynt and discover some of the intriguing and sometime brutal history of the region. Along the way th...
Sep 3, 2021 · 8 min
Sound Escape 28: unwind to late summer swallows above an Iron-Age hillfort in the Brecon Beacons
Atop the Iron-Age hillfort known as Pen y Crug high above the edge of Brecon, you can relax to the calls of the last of summer's swallows. Wind and sheep sigh in the bracken and holiday traffic makes its way home on the main road in the Usk Valley...
Aug 31, 2021 · 56 min
114. Exploring the lost town of Old Sarum in Wiltshire with writer Christopher Somerville
Legendary walker and writer Christopher Somerville joins our own Annabel Ross to explore the ruins of Old Sarum near Salisbury in Wiltshire and tells the curious tale of the dark forces at work that led to the medieval town being abandoned. A charming ...
Aug 27, 2021 · 9 min
Sound Escape 27: be calmed by the wild song of the ash tree
Relax to the rustle of a summer breeze through the leaves of an ancient ash tree in the Brecon Beacons. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes offer a mindful few minutes of escape into nature – a few minutes of restful sounds of the countryside...
Aug 24, 2021 · 1 hr
113. Investigating the chilling Pool of Witches on a Brecon Beacons mountain
Lost on a lonely, trackless mountain lies Pwll Gwy-Rhoc – the Pool of Witches – a mysterious lake that is the source of strange tales. Come with us on a quest to find the stories hidden in this untamed, ancient landscape.
Aug 20, 2021 · 8 min
Sound Escape 26: slow down with the sounds of a narrowboat passing through a lock on the Peak Forest Canal
Enjoy the gentle drama of a narrowboat passing through a lock on the Peak Forest Canal on the western edge of the Peak District. This slow radio is the latest Sound Escape from BBC Countryfile Magazine. Each one allows you to be soothed by the sounds o...
Aug 17, 2021 · 44 min
112. Strange tales at a Dorset henge… Part 2 of the Knowlton Circles mystery with Mary-Ann Ochota
Explore the extensive earthworks or Knowlton Circles in Dorset and the eerie ruined church at their centre. Archaeologist, anthropologist and broadcast Mary-Ann Ochota looks for answers in this ancient landscapes and meets local people with tales of st...
Aug 12, 2021 · 8 min
Sound Escape 25: be charmed by the gentle babble of a farmland stream
Cool off beside a babbling brook on the border of Cheshire and Derbyshire. In Countryfile Magazine's latest Sound Escape, it's early afternoon on a hot summer's day and you find yourself on the banks of a tiny but lively stream – a calm ...
Aug 10, 2021 · 48 min
111. The mystery of Knowlton Circles in Dorset with Mary-Ann Ochota – part 1
Join archaeologist, anthropologist and broadcaster Mary-Ann Ochota on the Dorset downs as she ventures across an ancient landscape of mysterious pathways, burial mounds and unexplained earthworks. She's on a quest to explore the secrets of enigmat...
Aug 6, 2021 · 8 min
Sound Escape 24: sit back and relax to the sleepy hum and buzz of a midsummer meadow
Chill out to the hum and buzz of a summer meadow. In Sound Escape 24, you find yourself waist deep in glorious midsummer wildflowers in a meadow in the Gwent Levels in South Wales. Crickets and grasshoppers chirrup and sing, bees bumble by, while black...
Aug 3, 2021 · 12 min
A new season of Plodcasts: explore the histories and mysteries of the countryside
Join us for 13 thrilling adventures of discovery as we head out into the countryside to explore ancient sites, hear haunting tales and enjoy atmospheric walks in strange and beautiful places.Guests includes archaeologist Mary-Ann Ochota, walker and wri...
Jul 30, 2021 · 11 min
Sound Escape 23: a walk among birdsong in Dovedale in Derbyshire
Enjoy the delights of Dovedale in this mindful walk through one of the Peak District's most beautiful valleys. Deeply relax to the gentle melodies of nature – including summer blackbirds and robins – in the latest Sound Escape from BBC Co...
Jul 23, 2021 · 18 min
Sound escape 22: the joyful song of summer on the allotment
Sit back and relax to soothing birdsong on a gentle summer’s morning on the allotment. In this Sound Escape, a meditative short podcast that celebrates the seasonal melodies of nature, relax to the tinkling song of a charm of goldfinches as they forage...
Jul 16, 2021 · 13 min
Sound Escape 21: the song of the River Dove in the Peak District
Relax to the song of the Peak District's most beautiful river. Sit on the banks of this gentle bubbling stream with delightful birdsong raining down – in this short Sound Escape: mindful moments of nature brought to you by BBC Countryfile Magazine...