The Plodcast

Why eBikes can make a huge difference to how you explore the countryside. Plodcast host Fergus enjoys a day's cycling in the Forest of Dean in the depths of winter with Tom Marvin from BikeRadar to talk about the joys of mountain biking and the magic of riding the woodland paths on an electric bicycle.Plus, later, the Plodcast team meet to discuss the day out, enjoy listeners' emails and the Sound of the Week.Image from Getty.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The happy, mesmerising chirping of a colony of house sparrows. As crocuses bloom in a small front garden, a dozen sparrows bubble with an incessant chatter full of infectious excitement – a sure sign that this little colony is turning its thoughts to the breeding season. Recorded by Fergus Collins. Introduced by Hannah Tribe. Image from Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Meet Angela Williams and Jenny Barlow who are helping the people of Langholm in south west Scotland make the most of their purchase of 5,200 acres from the Duke of Buccleugh. Rob Yorke walked some of the moors and woodlands to talk about what plans the community has to provide renewable energy, local jobs, wildlife habitat and an attractive destination for tourists. Recorded in autumn 2021. Image by Rob Yorke.More on the Lanholm Initiative and the creation of the Tarras Valley Nature ReserveHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Relax to the gentle trilling of a party of greenfinches. Walking an old footpath on the edge of a town, you stumble across a ruined farmhouse. Trees and scrub have invaded the farmyard creating a haven for birds including a group of 10 greenfinches. As the first warmth of spring stirs the air, the males chatter and wheeze their songs, while the females forage. These birds have undergone a decline in the UK in recent years so their once-familiar songs are harder to find on a country walk. Image from Getty. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Enjoy a wild winter's walk around the town of Mossley in Greater Manchester where the surrounding moors, woods and crumbling industrial heritage inspire two local artists. Meet Liz Ackerley and her partner Hugh Winterbottom to hear how the ever-changing seasons and atmospheres influence their very different styles of work.You can see their work in an exhibition called: Landscape Inside Out, Gallery Oldham, Oldham, Greater Manchester from 5 March to 4 June.For more information, see their You Tube videos:Later, the Plodcast team talk about artistic inspiration, video games based on the British countryside and listen to a chilling Sound of the Week.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After a cold and wet day in the hills, you light a fire in the stove and make a welcome cup of tea. You settle into a favourite armchair to watch the dancing flames and relax to the crackle of the wood.BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a gentle postcard from the British countryside each week that allows you a soothing few minutes escape into the wild, wherever you are. Image from Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Poet and BBC Radio regular Kenneth Steven takes us on a gentle winter's walk through the lanes and fields of his home island of Seil in the Inner Hebrides. Enjoy meetings with kestrels, buzzards and robins, plus a special poem A Winter Light. Later join the Plodcast team for some Sounds of the Week and the latest from the Plodcast Postbag. Image of Seil from Getty.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A horde of starlings descends on a dairy farm in the Vale of Pewsey to forage among the piles of gently steaming fodder and manure while cattle shelter inside the barns. The birds' voices create a waves of soft chatter to warm up this bitter winter's day while tractors come and go.BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a gentle postcard from the British countryside each week that allows you a soothing few minutes escape into the wild, wherever you are. Recorded by Tanya Jackson and presented by Hannah Tribe. Image from Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Setting out to give voice to forgotten lowland landscapes of Monmouthshire overlooked by visitors, plodcast host Fergus instead get lost as the little-used footpaths have disappeared or been blocked. With ravens and skylarks for company, he finds that the countryside can sometimes be a frustrating place to explore on foot. Back in the studio, we meet Jack Cornish, Head of Paths for the Ramblers, to discuss what can be done when footpaths go missing…Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's a cold, clear day with frosted grass and glass. You're walking beside the very-full Kennet and Avon canal and water rushes noisily through a loch. But soon, this serene waterway leads you past moored boats and out into the wider Wiltshire countryside.BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a gentle postcard from the British countryside each week that allows you a soothing few minutes escape into the wild, wherever you are. Recorded by Tanya Jackson and presented by Hannah Tribe. Image from Tanya Jackson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices