Explore & Escape - BBC Countryfile Magazine - February 2021

LAKELAND: A PHOTOGRAPHER’S GUIDE

COUNTRYFILE

YOUR S ES WELLNN PLA

ISSUE 173 FEBRUARY 2021 £4.75

Escape the h crowds

10 steps to oaor healthy ouletd lifesty

60 of the most idyllic breaks in the country for 2021

Walking in paradise The UK’s best long-distance trails for magnificent scenery

OUT OF AFRICA Where our summer birds spend winter SPECIAL REPORT

Should cars be banned from national parks?

DIVINE GARDENS OF +KIT ON TEST THE COTSWOLDS WARM BASE LAYERS Plan a sensory summer tour

FOR WINTER WALKS

EDITOR’S LETTER Jaw-dropping vistas and crowd-free paths await on 781-metre-high Fan Foel in the Black Mountains, Carmarthenshire

HOW TO CONTACT US To subscribe or for subs enquiries: Domestic telephone: 03330 162112 Overseas telephone: 01604 973720 Contact: www.buysubscriptions.com/ contactus Post: BBC Countryfile Magazine, PO BOX 3320, 3 Queensbridge, The Lakes, Northampton NN4 7BF

Take a chance...

Ellie Harrison, as usual, makes an excellent point this month (page 114). With holidays and hard-earned cash so precious to most of us, she says it’s understandable that many people are risk-averse in their choice of destination.

So Cornwall, the Lake District, Peak District, Snowdonia and Dorset proved once again the most searched-for breaks in the countryside on Countryfile.com as lockdown measures were eased last summer. It’s also why we often choose images of these places on our covers – they’re perennially popular. The problem was, as I found out myself in Snowdonia, these hotspots were busier than ever in 2020. And sometimes a heaving throng of walkers can take the edge off the enjoyment.

So this issue we’re making a case for trying something new. Phoebe Smith leads the charge with walking with ponies (who carry your pack!) across Wales (page 32) and we have many ideas throughout the magazine for finding tranquil holidays away from the crowds. And why not tackle a long-distance trail this year? See page 75 for some brilliant starter walks.

My own suggestion would be my beloved Brecon Beacons, but don’t go near Pen y Fan or Sugar Loaf; they’re stunning, but who wants to queue to climb a summit? There are dozens of other equally intriguing peaks. Anywhere in the Black Mountains north of Escape to the country Abergavenny and Crickhowell will give you a sense of freedom with our podcasts; and beauty without seeing another soul. Except me, perhaps.

To talk to the editorial team: Email: editor@countryfile.com Telephone: 0117 300 8580 (answerphone; please email rather than call) Post: BBC Countryfile Magazine, Eagle House, Colston Avenue, Bristol BS1 4ST Advertising enquiries: 0117 300 8815 App support: http://apps.immediate.co.uk/support Syndication and licensing enquiries (UK and international): richard.bentley@immediate.co.uk +44 (0)207 150 5168

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visit iTunes or countryfile.com/ podcast

Fergus Collins, editor@countryfile.com

Photos: Oliver Edwards, Alamy

THIS MONTH’S CONTRIBUTORS Phoebe Smith , page 32 “Over those two days of walking, my pony Susie taught me a great deal.

She showed me that sometimes, just sometimes, it pays to take your time.”

www.countryfile.com

Terry Abraham, page 52 “I just wanted to capture one Lake District mountain through the seasons in the best possible drama and light – the way I see it when I’m out.”

Lesley Waldron, page 64 “If 2020 taught us anything, it was there is real benefit to getting outside, moving more and looking after our health, for mental and physical wellbeing.”

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Contents

13 Seasonal treats from the garden

40 Where summer birds spend winter

CROWD -F

18 Plan summer visits to exquisite Cotswold gardens

MONTH IN THE COUNTRY 6 13 FEBRUARY IN THE COUNTRY Why you should plant tomatoes now.

Four brilliant books about birds.

Make leek and goat’s cheese tarts.

13 IDENTIFY EARLY BIRDSONG

E ES CA PE

S

RE

32 Idyllic crowd-free holidays to discover

FEATURES 18 GORGEOUS GARDENS OF THE COTSWOLDS

On the cover

Bring a dose of sunshine to your February days by planning a summer tour around the most beautiful and bountiful Cotswolds gardens.

Cover: Getty, National Trust Images Photos: Getty, Alamy, Terry Abraham,

Learn the first singers of spring.

32 CROWD FREE ESCAPES 14 ON THE FARM WITH ADAM Farmers can take simple steps to protect their ponds, streams and rivers.

ON YOUR COVER A walk on the spine of the Cat’s Back, or Black Hill, in Wales’ Black Mountains offers tranquillity and spectacular views.

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On the cover

From packhorse adventures to secluded retreats in woodland or on water, discover 18 marvellous ideas for a magical holiday in the country for 2021.

40 WHERE DO OUR MIGRATING BIRDS GO?

On the cover

It won’t be long before our beloved swallows, cuckoos and warblers return to our shores – but, asks Dominic Couzens, just where do they spend the months of winter?

48 BEHIND THE HEADLINES

On the cover

Should we ban cars from national parks to enhance the landscapes, wildlife and our own experiences?

52 IN LOVE WITH THE LAKES

On the cover

Few photographers are as committed to their subject as Terry Abraham. Fall in love with his stunning images of the Cumbrian fells.

62 A NATURAL ECCENTRIC Meet 19th-century naturalist Charles Waterton, who turned his family estate into the world’s first nature reserve.

64 STAY HEALTHY OUTSIDE

On the cover

It’s been a tough winter but there are simple things we can do outdoors to improve our physical and mental health.

www.countryfile.com

subscribe today and save with our special offer, page 30

52 Go wild in photographer Terry Abraham’s Lakeland

64 Boost your winter wellbeing

75 Wondrous long-distance walks

Great days out

REGULARS

LONG DISTANCE PATHS

On the cover

76 Lakeland peaks and Yorkshire coast

16 COUNTRY VIEWS

99 MATT BAKER

Isolation is nothing new for many rural communities. Rather than fretting, let’s get outside and enjoy the countryside, says Sara Maitland.

How we’ve created a haven for birds.

Wainwright’s Coast to Coast Path, Northern England

80 Mourne’s majesty

100 YOUR LETTERS

Mourne Way, County Down

Have your say on rural issues.

82 Life on the edge Cotswold Way, South West England

30 SUBSCRIBE NOW!

102 WINTER BASE LAYERS

A special offer for new subscribers.

We test the shirts to keep you warm on cold-weather adventures.

On the cover

47 JOHN CRAVEN Our waterways are polluted with toxic pesticides from flea treatments we use on our cats and dogs. Find out what you can do to help reduce the impact.

106 QUIZ & CROSSWORD Test your countryside knowledge.

113 NEXT MONTH What’s coming up in the March issue.

92 READER PHOTOS 114 ELLIE HARRISON

95 BOOKS, RADIO AND TV

Crowd-free UK holidays will be the Holy Grail this year, making your personal recommendations valued currency.

www.countryfile.com

84 Ramble round the moor Dartmoor Way, Devon

86 Walk with a Welsh prince Glynd r’s Way, Mid Wales

87 Grandaddy of all trails Pennine Way, Northern England

88 Bonny lands

Your Great Days Out in pictures.

What to read, watch and listen to.

83 Walking with waves Ceredigion Coast Path, Ceredigion

Cape Wrath Trail, North West Scotland

90 Long-distance walks for beginners Top seven, nationwide

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Photo: Naturepl.com

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FEBRUARY IN THE COUNTRY PICTURES › WILDLIFE › PEOPLE & PLACES › COUNTRY KNOW HOW › FOOD

CASTLE OF STORIES “There’s a secret as old As the stones to unlock: There’s a riddle, a mystery Trapped in the rock.”

Thus wrote Katrina Porteous in her poem Dunstanburgh. This castle on the Northumberland coast was built in the early 1300s by Thomas of Lancaster. He led a colourful life before being tried and executed for treason by Edward II in 1322. www.countryfile.com

07 7

PEAKING DUCK

Photos: Naturepl.com, Alamy, Robin Howe

The gloriously exotic-looking mandarin duck seems far too ostentatious to include among the UK’s native avifauna. Introduced from China, the species has escaped from captivity in the UK; now 2,300 pairs are living in the wild, mostly in southern England.

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PINK PERFECTION

SMOKING HAZEL

In the Wakefield triangle in Yorkshire, under candlelight, something is stirring this February. Farmers have been nurturing rhubarb in darkened sheds to produce a special crop. The darkness encourages the plants to produce early pale-pink stems that are tenderer and sweeter than garden rhubarb.

As early as Christmas, our hazel trees are looking to spring, as long catkins – the male flowers of the trees – emerge. Known as ‘lamb’s tails’, the catkins provide huge amounts of pollen that are released by the wind, as in this picture. Some of the minute windborne grains will meet and fertilise the female flowers, which are tiny and easily missed.

MONTH THE COUNTRY NIGHTINNURSE Exmoor National Park has deservedly been designated an International Dark Sky Reserve for its low light pollution and therefore fabulous opportunities to witness the stars. This photograph by Robin Howe entitled ‘Nurse Amy at Blagdon Cross’ is a particularly evocative image and was runner-up in the Exmoor At Night photo competition 2020.

SPECTACLE OF THE MONTH

SNOWDROPS “A small bird twitters on a leafless spray, Across the snow-waste breaks a gleam of gold: What token can I give my friend today But February blossoms, pure and cold?

Frail gifts from Nature’s half-reluctant hand...

I see the signs of spring about the land...

These chill snowdrops, fresh from wintry bowers, Are the forerunners of a world of flowers.”

Sarah Doudney, Snowdrops (Consolation), c. 1881

WISE BUY

3RGFDVW RI ëH PRQë GARDENERS’ WORLD Lay down your trowel and tune in to the all-new BBC Gardener’s World Magazine Podcast with the nation’s favourite experts. In the first episode, Monty Don shares how gardening has helped his mental and physical wellbeing throughout his life, and what he’s learning as he gets older. gardenersworld.com/podcast 10

Snuggle by the fire and wrap yourself in the vibrant colours of the kingfisher or the warming russet of robin’s red breast with The British Blanket Company’s latest special edition blankets. Inspired by the soothing sounds of birdsong during 2020’s first lockdown, and with some help from the company’s Facebook followers, too, the designers created comforting soft merino lambswool blankets in five joyous colours – celebrating the kingfisher, blue tit, grey wagtail, robin and wood pigeon.

The yarn for each blanket is produced in Yorkshire, then woven in batches in a small woollen mill in Ireland. A special gift of five postcard-sized watercolour bird prints by Somerset artist Bridget John is included with every blanket purchased; £95 each. thebritishblanketcompany.com www.countryfile.com

Photos: Getty, Geogrpah/David Hallam Jones Illustration: Enya Todd

Supersoft merino British birds blanket

MONTH IN THE COUNTRY

HOW TO...

GROW TOMATOES Follow these six simple steps from BBC Gardeners’ World and you’ll have sweet, fresh tomatoes ripe for picking all the way through summer.

You will need: tomato seeds • pots • peat-free, multi-purpose compost • vermiculite (a water-retaining mineral) • cling film • soft twine • stakes (such as bamboo) • tomato food

CURIOUS CUSTOMS

SOWING Between January and March, thinly sow your tomato seeds in 7.5cm-wide pots of moist, peat-free, multi-purpose compost. Top with a thin layer of vermiculite, water and cover with cling film. Stand on a warm, bright windowsill.

TRANSPLANTING When your seeds have germinated, remove the cling film and keep the compost damp. When they reach about 2–3cm tall, transplant seedlings into 5cm pots, then return to the windowsill. Keep potting on if the plants grow too tall.

PLANTING OUT Move your tomatoes outside after the last frost in May. Plant them in a sunny, sheltered border (plenty of well-rotted garden compost if possible). Grow bags or large pots (30cm wide) can also be used – place these outside or in a greenhouse.

PINCHING OUT AND STAKING Tall cordon (vine) tomatoes need pinching out (removing side shoots in the axle between leaf and stem) and staking. When first fruits appear, remove leaves below to let light in. When there are four clusters of flowers, pinch out the plant’s growing tip.

Held in the Church of St Mary of the Purification in Blidworth, Nottinghamshire, the Cradle Rocking Service commemorates the presentation of the baby Jesus at the temple in Jerusalem. In the service, Jesus is represented by a local baby who was born closest to Christmas Day, and is rocked in a floweradorned cradle. The baby’s name is then inscribed on a church wall. It’s thought the ceremony is at least 400 years old.

Countryfile on TV BBC ONE, 17 JANUARY, 7PM

FEEDING Once flowers appear, feed plants weekly with liquid tomato food. Keep plants well-watered; irregular watering causes fruit to split or develop hard black patches, known as blossom-end rot. This is caused by a lack of calcium, found in water. www.countryfile.com

HARVESTING Leave tomatoes on the plants so they can ripen naturally, which greatly improves the flavour. Towards the end of the season, prune off the older leaves to let in more light. If the weather turns cold, pick the trusses to ripen indoors.

The team visits the Mendips in Somerset. This range of limestone hills is a tourist hotspot and has long felt the impact of high visitor numbers. But the community is coming together to find solutions. Ellie Harrison heads to Cheddar Gorge where the AONB is attempting to reduce congestion on the road, and Tom Heap looks at footpath restoration in the Mendip Hills.

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I D G U I D E : E A R LY S P R I N G B I R D S O N G One of the most evocative sounds in nature, the dawn chorus returns this month as avian songsters, full of purpose and ambition, sing at the beginning of each day to stake their claims on territories and mates.

MISTLE THRUSH

GREAT TIT

ROBIN

Short, wistful, almost melancholic phrases of song from December onwards.

Often sings at dusk and during rain, which gives rise to the old nickname of ‘stormcrow’.

By February, the great tit’s clean piping notes are refreshing our woodlands.

The most easily recognised is the “tee-cher, tee-cher, tee-cher” two-note call.

Having sung all winter – albeit without great urgency – the robin’s long, tuneful and wistful song grows in strength as the first embers of spring begin to glow.

WOODLARK

DUNNOCK

ROOK

Head to southern heathlands on a late winter’s day to hear this little-known songster.

Males produce a beguiling cascade of notes, varying the rate and tone with each phrase.

High-pitched, rapid and undulating and seeming to end with a preposition, the song of the dunnock has been likened to a squeaky bicycle wheel, but it’s tuneful and easy to identify.

Not a typical songbird but the caws of a rook colony are an evocative soundtrack of the lowland countryside at this time of year.

Escape to the country A new handbook by Jules Hudson Do you dream of escaping the humdrum of city life and finding a new home in the country? For more than a decade, BBC Two’s popular rural property series Escape to the Country has inspired thousands of us to do just that.

Now, presenter Jules Hudson shares his experience of rural house hunting in a practical guide, offering a wide range of advice, from where to go and what to buy, renovation and building tips, how to create an eco-home, how to save money on your move, to the ups and downs of country living.

The Escape to the Country Handbook £16.99, juleshudson.com

NEW TRAIL Five years after Storm Desmond swept across Cumbria, cutting valuable links between villages and towns, the Keswick to Threlkeld Railway Trail has reopened. The £7.9 million project to reconnect the two Lakeland communities via the old railway is now complete, with one or two new additions. On-site interpretation includes information on local wildlife, the history of the railway and the impact of the 2015 storm floods on the local area, while the new trail logo, which consists of a native water crowfoot flower and a railway wheel, represents the harmony between nature and heritage. lakedistrict.gov.uk

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Photos: Getty, Alamy

Keswick to Threlkeld Railway

MONTH IN THE COUNTRY

FROM THE BOOKSHELF:

BIRD BOOKS Fly head-on into the avian world with our favourite books about birds

H IS FOR HAWK

by Helen Macdonald A triumph of nature writing focusing on Macdonald’s battles to train a goshawk but also elegantly exploring family dynamics and grief.

THE BIRDLIFE OF BRITAIN

by Peter Hayman and Philip Burton A forgotten classic bird-ID guide. Lovingly written with stunning illustrations – not just of bird portraits but flight patterns and other behaviour.

T H E S E A S O N A L TA B L E : A TA ST E O F F E B R U A RY Join Kathy Bishop and Tom Crowford on their West Country smallholding The smallholding is softly stirring into life again. At dusk, while we are quickly grafting a few new apple varieties on the old trees, a bat swoops through the orchard and a toad is heard croaking by the pond. There is even an enthusiastic plum tree in blossom. In the raised beds we sow wibbly rows of onion sets between the winter leeks and emerging garlic, accompanied by our mouser cat, who pounces on the tiny bulbs as we bury them.

THE PEREGRINE

by John Alec Baker Vivid and potent tales of tracking falcons in the lonely winter coastlands of Essex, first published in 1967. Regarded as one of the most influential works of nature writing ever penned.

LEEK AND GOAT’S CHEESE TARTS INGREDIENTS Serves 4

25g unsalted butter 1 tbsp fresh sage leaves, finely chopped 750g leeks, thinly sliced 2 tsp apple cider vinegar 375g all-butter puff pastry, ready rolled 100g local goat’s cheese, sliced into four rounds 2 tsp thyme leaves (fresh or dried) A pinch of chipotle chilli flakes A splash of milk METHOD

CROW COUNTRY

by Mark Cocker Exploring the marvels of rooks in Britain’s natural and cultural landscapes. A beautiful blend of the scientific, philosophic and poetic. www.countryfile.com

1. Melt the butter in a pan over a low heat, then stir in the sage leaves, leeks and a pinch of salt. Put the lid on and leave to cook gently for around 30 minutes until the leeks are soft, sweet and just beginning to caramelise. Stir in the apple cider vinegar a little bit

at a time (taste as you go – too much will ruin the tart, but the right amount will balance the sweetness of the leeks), then set aside to cool.

2. Unroll the puff pastry sheet and cut into quarters.

Evenly divide the leeks and place in the centre rectangle of each quarter, leaving a thin border around the edge. Top each quarter with a round of goat’s cheese, then sprinkle over the thyme and chilli flakes. Brush the pastry edges with a little milk and bake in the oven at 220°C for 12–15 minutes until the pastry has puffed up and turned golden brown.

Serve warm, alongside peppery winter salad leaves.

Discover more recipe ideas from Kathy and Tom on Instagram instagram.com/the_seasonal_table and their website theseasonaltable.co.uk 13 13

2Q ëH IDUP ZLë

Adam Henson SIMPLE STEPS CAN HELP OUR WATERWAYS

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BLESSED WITH CLEAN WATER It’s something that’s close to home for me thanks to one of the natural jewels of the Cotswolds. The River Windrush is a tranquil, meandering tributary of the mighty Thames and our farm is on the high exposed land to the east of the river valley. The water glides through damp meadows and dotted throughout the area are old iron pumps where drinking water was drawn, not from the river, but from the limestone.

In fact, the water to my farmhouse, our animal field troughs and sheds as well as two

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A vital Cotswolds resource, the River Windrush needs to be protected from agricultural run-off neighbouring farmhouses all comes from a natural spring.

The water is pumped up to a water tank at the highest point on the farm and it then runs by gravity to its destinations. It never runs dry and it’s been providing us with clean, fresh water that has been filtered through the limestone for as long as I can remember.

We’ve also found evidence of another long-forgotten supply.

In the middle of a copse of trees there’s a wide saucer-shaped hollow in the ground with the moss-covered remains of a stone wall running through the centre. It’s all that’s left of an ancient dewpond. The name’s a bit misleading because these man-made shallows normally collected rainwater, not dew, but for centuries they were an ingenious, wildlife-friendly way of providing water for cattle and horses.

Our dried-up dewpond is a reminder of the generations of farmers who took care of this land long before the Henson family arrived, and it’s inspired me to rejuvenate an old pond on another part of the farm. I’m keen to do more for frogs, toads and newts, dragonflies and mayflies and the resulting birdlife attracted by the prospect of a tasty meal on the wing.

Before the digger got to work, we tested the water coming off the land for nitrates and phosphates. Run-off of chemicals from fields has been a concern in the industry for years and one of the big factors is bad weather.

DEFRA-backed research suggests winter storms are responsible for about a third of the nitrogen and phosphorous material running into rivers and streams. The good news is that a few easy steps can reduce pollution: drilling (seed sowing) only in dry weather, changing the pattern of tramlines and using field margins to trap run-off can drastically cut the amount of silt running down to watercourses.

Cover crops also do a brilliant job of improving the soil structure, which helps retain rainwater.

February fill ditch is still a reality, but at least these days we’re able to do something to offset the worst effects of the wintry weather.

Ask Adam: What topic would you like to know more about? Email your suggestions to editor@countryfile.com

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Photos: Sean Malyon, Alamy

n the Cotswold hills there’s some old weather lore that still rings true: “February fill ditch, black or white”. In other words, the weather is so cold and wet this month that gullies, dykes and drains are sure to swell with rain or melting snow.

Not only does this particular saying have a habit of being proved right, it’s also a timely reminder of the importance of watercourses in the countryside. I often describe farmers as the custodians of the land, but that also means we’re the guardians of the landscape features. This responsibility is recognised in the Government’s post-Brexit plans for agriculture, with an emphasis on rewards for farming practices that are in harmony with the environment.

Kevin Morgans Wilkinson Cameras Ambassador Photographer For more information about our Ambassadors visit wilkinson.co.uk/blog

kevinmorgans.com @kevmorgans

OPINION

Sara Maitland

For more on wellness, see page 64

In times of isolation, getting out to enjoy the natural world can help ease our worries Illustration: Lynn Hatzius

Before the First World War, my grandfather, who lived in South West Scotland, played a game of chess with a friend in South Africa, by post. They got in fewer than 10 moves a year because the post took about six weeks each way.

(They finished the game; my grandfather lost.)

Up the glen where I live there was no electricity until the 1970s, and no telephone either (there is still no mobile connection). Some of the primary school children had to walk over a mile to catch the school bus and back again in the evening. The major social event of the summer was ‘common shearing’: everyone got together on one farm for the day and collectively sheared all that farm’s sheep – an exhausting task (no power shears obviously) – and then moved round the other farms. Older people here still remember common shearing with joy.

The point is that isolation was normal, communication slow, transport rare and ‘social bubbles’ pretty universal and highly restricted, even half a century ago. I have no doubt that many households became highly eccentric and turned in on themselves, but there seems to have been no general panic about mental health. In barely a century so much has changed, and you would have thought for the better, or at least the easier – cars, bikes, tarred roads, ambulances, TVs, central heating, telephones, deep 16

freezes, holidays abroad, a state pension – but, ‘locked down’ by coronavirus we are all apparently in immediate danger of insanity, or at least debilitating depression.

This is quite odd, because we know – we knew long before lockdown – a number of things that are good for our mental health and a great many of them are more easily accessed in the countryside than in large towns.

Exercise and fresh air are recognised as being good for mental as well as physical health, and it is a great deal easier, and cheaper, to find beauty and freedom and fitness in the country than on an industrial estate. The gym may be closed but the public footpath is not.

Sara Maitland is a writer who lives in Dumfries and Galloway. Her works include A Book of Silence and Gossip from the Forest

asked the management which flats had people aged over 70 in them, and was told curtly that this was privileged information and none of her business. At precisely the same time, my very rural village was organising its ‘community resilience hub’, including shopping for the over-70s, 24 hours of telephone contacts and red plastic Xs to put in your window if you needed help. Of course, we already knew who was over 70, which made it simpler.

Moreover, life under lockdown is markedly easier if you live where there are fewer people. I’ve been out for a walk almost every day of lockdown and I have only once, in nine months, had to take evasive action in order to maintain social distancing.

I stepped off a narrow path in a wood because I heard someone approaching. Unfortunately, he also heard me approaching and stepped back off the path. After about five minutes of waiting for each other we had a shouted conversation and worked out a very simple “crossing plan”.

My point is that the worst possible thing you can do for your mental health is worry and fret about it. In the countryside, we can stay fit and enjoy the beauty of the world, while staying safe.

Let us not add anxiety to loneliness.

MEANING OF COMMUNITY At the beginning of the pandemic, a couple of days before lockdown started, my niece who lives in an apartment block in London

Have your say What do you think about the issues raised here?

Write to the address on page three or email editor@countryfile.com www.countryfile.com

Our science, your wellbeing

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If it’s not for you, simply cancel your subscription at any time, without obligation. * Turmeric+ contains vitamin C which contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of cartilage and bones. Discount valid until 28th February 2021. New UK customers only. One free trial per household. Your first box is free (just pay £1.50 postage) and you will be enrolled into a flexible subscription (£16.80 every 28 days). You can stop deliveries at any time without obligation. See FutureYouHealth.com for more information on our subscription service. Turmeric+ from FutureYou Cambridge should be consumed as part of a healthy and balanced diet and lifestyle. If you are taking any prescribed medication or have any medical conditions always consult your doctor or pharmacist before taking vitamins or supplements. Trial pack promotion cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotions.

Photo: Alamy

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One of the most influential Arts and Crafts gardens in Britain, Hidcote is internationally renowned for its carefully designed garden rooms and remarkable plant collection, created by Major Lawrence Johnston between 1907 and 1948

DISCOVER

GORGEOUS GARDENS OF THE COTSWOLDS Brighten your February days by planning a summer tour around the beautiful rose-filled havens of these famous Gloucestershire hills

By Victoria Summerley

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Wildflowers bloom on the Cotswolds Edge, where the impressive Iron Age hillfort at Uley Bury offers magnificent views over the Severn Valley 20

www.countryfile.com

DISCOVER

emember summer? When the sun strikes hot on bare skin, and gardens breathe forth the scent of roses and lavender? When bees hum happily as they forage, and birds sing from trees that have only just shaken out their new green leaves? If this is your idea of heaven, the Cotswolds – only 75 miles from London and 60 from Birmingham – may be the perfect place to escape this summer.

The Cotswolds landscape is like a geographical version of Ravel’s Boléro. The rolling hills begin almost imperceptibly in the meadows of the Thames valley at Lechlade to the south-east before rising to a crescendo in the north-west at what is known as the Cotswolds Edge, an escarpment up to 300 metres above sea level, from which land falls away to the Severn Valley and the Vale of Evesham.

The Romans settled here, building a city they called Corinium, now Cirencester.

Later, medieval wool merchants made their fortunes grazing sheep on the limestone pastures, and generations of farmers and landowners have succeeded them, raising livestock and growing crops on the stony soil known as Cotswold brash.

R

Photos: Naturepl.com, GAP, Alamy

GORGEOUS GREEN EDENS Among these rolling hills, rushing streams and beech woods misted with bluebells in spring, the Cotswolds boasts tranquil gardens full of colour and scent. Some of England’s most famous gardens are here: Hidcote and its next-door-neighbour Kiftsgate Court Gardens, Prince Charles’ garden at Highgrove, and Barnsley House, created by the late Rosemary Verey. These distinguished gardens attract many visitors – 180,000 a year to Hidcote alone, in a normal year.

As wonderful as these gardens are, if you want to discover what the Cotswolds is really about, head for somewhere far less well-known. Perched above the woods and pastures of the Churn Valley, near the small village of Woodmancote, lies Moor Wood, a beautiful Georgian house set in two acres of gardens. In June and July, each wall, terrace and pillar is draped with roses of every colour. Owners Henry and Susie Robinson love rambling roses because of the wild, romantic effect they produce. They now have more than 150 varieties in the garden. It’s difficult to tear yourself away from such a magnificent display, but it’s www.countryfile.com

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP In early summer, rambling roses of many shades adorn the walls at Moor Wood; immerse yourself in fragrance and colour in the organic kitchen garden at Cerney House Gardens; designed by Rosemary Verey in 1964, the garden at Barnsley House is truly iconic

“IN JUNE AND JULY, EACH WALL AND TERRACE IS DRAPED WITH ROSES OF EVERY COLOUR”

worth wandering out of the garden to the meadows. Henry sowed a grass and wildflower mix not long after moving in.

“For 15 or 16 years, nothing much happened,” he says. “Thirty years later, the yellow rattle has taken over, which means the grass is under control, and the wildflowers and orchids look magnificent.

We don’t graze it in spring or summer, only after the orchids have set seed.”

Chances to see Moor Wood are precious, for it opens on just one afternoon a year for the National Garden Scheme – this year it opens on 27 June.

VICTORIAN BEAUTY Fortunately, other Cotswold gardens are open more frequently. Just over a mile to the south-west lies Cerney House Gardens and its 40 acres of park and woodland walks.

Cerney House was first built in 1660, then remodeled in 1780. It’s the Victorian walled garden that remains the focus of the garden, with its espalier fruit trees, lavender walk, a knot garden and a kitchen garden. Roses are one of the highlights, but there are also other fascinating areas to explore, such as the bluebell woods, rockery, orchard and 21

June is a perfect time to enjoy the rivers of blooms meandering through the Arts and Crafts-inspired garden at Hidcote

ruined chapel. The Bothy provides tea and cake on a self-service basis, and there is also a plant stall. Unlike Moor Wood, Cerney House Gardens is open daily from the end of January to the end of October, but it still retains its quiet, more intimate atmosphere, where it’s easy to maintain social distance.

TWIN MASTERPIECES For the full National Trust experience at Hidcote, near Chipping Campden, you will need to devote at least half a day. But don’t miss Kiftsgate, still in private ownership and only half a mile down the road. Plan your visit carefully – although the two gardens are neighbours they are not always open at the same time.

Hidcote is a showpiece: a romantic Arts and Crafts garden with traditional Edwardian ‘garden rooms’, formal gazebos and colour-themed borders. It was developed by Lawrence Johnston, whose mother bought Hidcote Manor in 1907. Over 40 years and several plant hunting trips abroad, Lawrence combined his flair for design with a formidable knowledge of plants to create a garden that attacted critical acclaim. Since the National Trust took over Hidcote in 1948, a lot of the garden 22

has been rebuilt, and replanted – always under expert direction, such as that of the National Trust’s former gardens advisor Graham Stuart Thomas, who in 1955 effectively recreated the Red Border as we see it now, with its scarlet flowers and purple foliage.

At Kiftsgate Court Gardens, where three generations of one family – all of them women – have worked on the garden since

ABOVE An oriental water garden complements the Moghul-style house at Sezincote, Moreton-inMarsh OPPOSITE White flowering shrubs, Deutzia, Carpentaria and Hoheria create drama in The White Sunk Garden at Kiftsgate

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DISCOVER

the 1920s, there is a much greater sense of change and progression. The Water Garden, for example, built in 1998 with its leafy water sculpture by Simon Allison, sits beautifully within the more traditional elements of yew hedges and herbaceous borders.

Photos: National Trust Images, GAP, ALamy, Getty

A TOUCH OF THE ORIENT For those in search of cottage gardens and orchards spangled with spring bulbs, the first view of Sezincote House, emerging from behind the great oaks that line the drive, comes as a bit of a culture shock. The last thing you expect to see on the eastern slopes of the Cotswolds, three miles from the market town of Moreton-in-Marsh, is an Oriental weathered-copper onion dome, and even the old dairy is built in Indian style, with a crenellated parapet.

The house may be in the style of a Moghul palace, but the parkland owes more to the 18th-century English landscape style than the Mughal Gardens of Kashmir or the Hanging Gardens of Mumbai. Over the past five years, owners Edward and Camilla Peake and their head gardener Greg Power have embarked on a series of improvements, dredging the ponds that form a cascading chain down through the gardens, and www.countryfile.com

GREAT WALKS 1. A circular 8.5km walk starting at the village of Mickleton takes you past Kiftsgate Court and Hidcote Manor to the small village of Hidcote Bartrim, (top right) where the cottages once inhabited by Johnston’s gardeners are now rented out to visitors. Quite a bit of road walking but there are wonderful views of the Vale of Evesham.

2. For North Cerney to Woodmancote, start at the Bathurst Arms (right) on the main road at North Cerney. The pub offers maps for three circular walks, the longest of which is 12km.

The A435 follows the river Churn, and the walks take you along the riverbank and through woodland, farmland and wildflower meadows.

3. A 5km loop begins at the 12th-century church of St Lawrence at Bourton-on-theHill (right) just up the hill from Bourton House, and follows the Heart of England Way through Sezincote and back again.

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On the other side of the main road from Bourton House, a seven-acre field with groups of specimen trees is also open to visitors, but if trees are your thing, you’ll want to see Batsford Arboretum as well – the entrance is a third of a mile down the road towards Moreton. Spring brings magnolias and cherry blossom to Batsford, while autumn sees maples flaming into vivid hues. One of the highlights comes in May, when the handkerchief tree – Davidia involucrata – is a mass of white bracts that look like cotton hankies hanging out to dry.

fine-tuning the planting. Lush foliage, such as that of phormiums and hostas, helps heighten the impression of jungle greenery, while an early summer highlight is the clumps of candelabra primroses around the early 19th-century Snake Fountain.

Greg has also encouraged snake’s-head fritillaries, which love damp soil, to self-seed around the lower ponds.

Teas at Sezincote are served in the huge curving Orangery, but across the fields at neighbouring Bourton House Garden the setting for refreshments is the magnificent 16th-century tithe barn. The garden is mainly formal, with lots of topiary and a knot garden in a Greek key design that features a huge stone pool from the Great Exhibition of 1851.

Bourton House is in the pretty village of Bourton-on-the-Hill, where the honeystone houses cluster together on the steep hillside like sightseers admiring the view. Along the south-facing boundary of this constantly evolving garden is a raised terrace punctuated by ogee arches (with a pointed apex). The glorious view here looks over the Sezincote Estate from a vantage point flanked by herbaceous borders.

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Autumn brings flames of colour to Batsford Arboretum; pretty Miserden is home to traditional pub The Carpenters’ Arms; wide borders bubbling with blooms are a gorgeous summer sight in Miserden Park’s sheltered gardens

“WALK PATHS EDGED WITH CATMINT AND LADY’S MANTLE, PAST BILLOWING HERBACEOUS BORDERS”

On the other side of the Cotswolds, the village of Miserden is so unspoiled that it was used by BBC One as the location for the 2015 TV film adaptation of Laurie Lee’s Cider With Rosie. The pub, The Carpenters’ Arms, stood in for Lee’s local, The Woolpack Inn in Slad, five miles to the west.

Miserden is famous among Cotswold gardeners, however, as the site of the Nursery at Miserden, where Julie Dolphin, formerly one of the BBC Gardeners’ World production team, and her husband Steve run their own plant centre. The nursery is housed in the old glasshouses of Miserden Park, one of which has now been turned into a café, while others house collections of scented geraniums and bedding plants. The specialities are shade-loving hostas and ferns, perennials and David Austin roses.

Here, you can also buy tickets for the gardens at Miserden Park, winner of the Historic Houses Garden of the Year award in 2018. This garden is high at 244 metres above sea level, but thanks to the shelter provided by high yew hedges and stone walls, it always seems to feel mild and sunny.

The house itself faces south-east and architect Edwin Lutyens’ Italianate arched loggia –added in the 1920s – contributes to the general ambience of peace and serenity.

Remember summer? It will be waiting for you in the Cotswolds. As you explore its gardens, along paths edged with catmint and lady’s mantle, past billowing herbaceous borders sheltered by towering yew hedges, feel yourself relax as you breathe the sweet country air. CF

Victoria Summerley is an award-winning journalist and the author of Secret Gardens of the Cotswolds, Great Gardens of London.

Victoria is a former executive editor of The Independent and now lives in the Cotswolds. www.countryfile.com

Photos: GAP, National Trust Images, Alamy

STEP BACK IN TIME

At the centre of the intricate formal knot garden at Bourton House sits a raised-basket pond that featured in the Great Exhibition of 1851

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OTHER COTSWOLDS GARDENS TO VISIT More garden delights to discover, by Victoria Summerley COTSWOLD NURSERIES

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The Coach House, Ampney Crucis 1

This is one of the most popular destinations for plantaholics.

Plant fairs here in spring and autumn attract specialist nurseries from the Cotswolds and neighbouring counties. thegenerousgardener.co.uk

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Bunkers Hill Nursery, Kidlington 2

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A family-run independent plant centre specialising in fruit trees, ornamental trees, native hedging and roses, all supplied bare-root in season, as well as perennials. bunkershillgardenshop.co.uk

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Cotswold Garden Flowers, Badsey 3

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For a huge choice, visit this retail centre at Badsey, near Broadway. cotswoldgardenflowers.co.uk

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Rodmarton Manor, Rodmarton 4

Beautiful Arts and Crafts house, with terrace, topiary and walled garden. rodmarton-manor.co.uk

Highgrove Royal Gardens, Doughton 5

Map: Laura Hallett Photos: Alamy

Tickets must be booked in advance and security is tight, but it’s worth it – tours are entertaining. Open April to October. highgrovegardens.com

6 Colesbourne Park Opens throughout February when the 26

6 snowdrop collection is in flower, but also open in autumn for arboretum tours. colesbournegardens.org.uk

7 Rockcliffe, Upper Slaughter Open twice a year for the National Gardens Scheme (NGS, ngs.org.uk).

Avenue of topiary birds and garden rooms. rockcliffegarden.co.uk/ Rockcliffe_Garden/Home.html 8 Upton Wold, near Blockley Holds a National Collection of Juglans (walnuts) and has stunning vistas.

Open Wednesdays. uptonwold.co.uk

9 9 Asthall Manor, Asthall Open for NGS and during the On Form biennal art exhibition. Garden was designed by Isabel and Julian Bannerman. asthallmanor.com 10 Stowell Park, Yanworth Open for the NGS. Kitchen garden, glasshouses, formal terraces, herbaceous borders, and wonderful tea and cake. stowellpark.com 11 Barnsley House, Barnsley Now a hotel, but much of the Rosemary Verey design can still be seen,

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including the potager garden. barnsleyhouse.com

Stanway Water Garden, Stanway 12

Boasts the tallest fountain in Britain (91 metres), and tallest gravity fountain in the world, fed by a 455,000-litre reservoir. stanwayfountain.co.uk

Daylesford House, Kingham 13

Open for the NGS. Lady Bamford’s garden proves that going organic works on a grand scale. daylesford.com www.countryfile.com

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COVID-19 Please abide by Government advice on travel, and remain at home if recommended to do so. The information on these pages is meant to assist you once restrictions have been lifted.

MORE GREAT GARDEN ESCAPES

Argyll and Bute

Dorset

The coastal gardens of Argyll offer exotic species, blue Himalayan poppies, towering rhododendrons and some of the most breathtaking scenery in the British Isles. The viewpoint at Arduaine looks out over islands that bask like seals in sunshine. At Crarae Garden (above), a Himalayan gorge has been created around the local burn, or stream. Five-acre An Ceardach Garden on the Kintyre Peninsula leads you to the sea, while Mount Stuart Castle on the Isle of Bute boasts not so much gardens as botanical collections. Inspired?

Visit Kinlochlaich Garden Centre between Oban and Fort William to buy some of these plants for your own garden; kinlochlaichgardencentre.co.uk.

Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens (above), near Weymouth, has views of Chesil Beach and the Jurassic coast from the magnolia walk plus 20 acres of exotic planting, where ornamental pheasants strut and peck beneath palms and gunnera. Abbotsbury Swannery is next door. Athelhampton House, near Dorchester, is set in formal, architectural gardens with statuesque topiary and a 15th-century dovecote, while at the other end of the historical scale, Compton Acres in Poole, created in the 1920s, features a Japanese garden and an Italian garden. Knoll Gardens near Wimborne is the showcase for the award-winning grasses nursery founded by Neil Lucas; knollgardens.co.uk.

Sussex

Cornwall

Somerset

Christopher Lloyd’s Great Dixter (above), near Northiam, is a must-see for any garden lover.

Nymans, at Handcross, is an English idyll, with rose garden, ruins and herbaceous borders.

Wakehurst, near Haywards Heath, is used by Kew Gardens but owned by the National Trust – it has important plant collections, a charming courtyard café and woodlands that are great for kids to explore. The hillside garden at Standen House, an Arts and Crafts gem in East Grinstead, is undergoing restoration, but seeing this evolve is part of the attraction. Sussex Prairie Garden at Henfield, developed by Paul and Pauline McBride, was inspired by Piet Oudolf’s perennial planting.

The yew topiary at Lanhydrock (above), near Bodmin, is not only spectacular horticulturally, but has helped contribute to medical research. Cycle trails on the estate will help you get fit, too.

Caerhays Castle, near St Austell, is a mass of blossom from early spring onwards as camellias, magnolias and rhododendrons come into bloom.

Trelissick has panoramic views over the Fal Estuary, while Glendurgan Garden and Trebah Garden, just outside Falmouth, are subtropical coastal paradises. Glendurgan’s cherry laurel hedge maze will fascinate visitors of all ages, while at Trebah you can walk down to the secluded beach through a sea of blue hydrangeas.

Like Montacute House itself, the two pavilions either side of the terrace are Elizabethan and built in ham stone. Much of the garden layout is either original or true to the original. East Lambrook Manor Gardens (above), eight miles to the west, is the iconic English cottage garden, created by journalist and plantswoman Margery Fish, who moved there in the 1930s. Hestercombe, near Taunton, is famous for its Edwardian formal gardens, but also has an 18th-century landscape garden. New kids on the block are the Piet Oudolf Garden at the Hauser & Wirth gallery, Bruton, and the Yeo Valley Organic Garden near Blagdon, with its wildflower meadow and orchard.

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BRIGHT THINGS ARE AHEAD Make this year one to remember.

Let Princess Cruises take you and your loved ones on a wonderful Nordic adventure

he great outdoors is always ripe for exploration, but while last year may have seen you seek solace in our native rolling hills and grassy riverbanks, 2021 is offering you the chance to reconnect with the wider world. So, if the thought of exploring new terrains once again gets you excited, set sail for the journey of a lifetime with Princess Cruises.

The 14-Day Search for the Northern Lights cruise is a voyage to the serene shores of Norway. In this magical land of ice and snow

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you’ll discover breathtaking fjords, panoramic vistas and glistening mountains. You can explore on your own or join one of the many planned excursions, all of which are designed to help you to absorb the local culture. %RH EFSEVH XLI -WPERH 4VMRGIWW ]SY PP RH the soothing Lotus Spa®, live entertainment, and gourmet cuisine, including the Bayou Café and Steakhouse, which features New Orleans-inspired Cajun and Creole cuisine.

Plus, you’ll have ample opportunity to get to know your fellow explorers along the way.

FANCY WINNING A 12-NIGHT CRUISE... to Scandinavia and Russia for two worth up to £3,000?

To enter, head to bit.ly/princess-comp

PORT ONE: STAVANGER

Welcome to Norway!

As you sail into this beautiful port, you’ll be retracing the steps of the Vikings who conquered these waters more than 1,000 years ago.

Stavanger couldn’t be a more TIVJIGX VWX WXST MJ ]SY VI OIIR XS experience the country’s natural beauty. Thanks to the region’s mild GPMQEXI MXW PYWGMSYW [MXL SVE and fauna. Experience the best of it by joining the excursion to the island of Sør-Hidle to see the Flor Og Fjære Gardens, a collection of tropical landscaped spaces bursting with colourful displays.

PORT TWO: TROMSØ Lying just north of the Arctic Circle, Tromsø is home to the northernmost university in the world – The Arctic University of Norway – which gives the city a surprisingly lively buzz, with lots of cosy cafés, restaurants and bars to stop by. If you’re feeling brave, ride the cable car to the summit of Mount Storsteinen and take in the sweeping views of the frozen coastline – how’s that for a fresh perspective? And, if you [ERX ER IZIR FIXXIV ZMI[ ] LMKL with the Tromsø Helicopter Ride, which takes you on a 20-minute tour above the snow-capped mountains and icy fjords.

PORT THREE: ALTA People from around the world SGO LIVI XS WIIO SYX XLI IPYWMZI Aurora Borealis (also known as the Northern Lights), a celestial parade of colour that is often found dancing across the sky here. The best way to enjoy the display is to take part in the Northern Lights Safari excursion, at Paeskatun. You’ll get to enjoy ER MRJSVQEXMZI PQ [LMGL SJJIVW an insight into the science behind the natural wonder. Guides here will assist you in capturing beautiful photos, or you can choose to buy a portrait of you and your loved ones with the lights in the background, which makes for a lovely souvenir.

PORT FOUR: THE LOFOTEN ISLANDS Draped across the icy waters of the Norwegian Sea, the tranquil Lofoten Islands offer the perfect opportunity to enjoy a bracing walk along a sweeping beach.

Fill your lungs with the fresh air and feel any stress you may be holding onto melt away. When night falls, you can get to know your fellow travellers at the Magic Ice Bar and Gallery in Svolvær, a sub-zero experience designed by local artists to represent the bond between man and nature.

PORT FIVE: ÅLESUND In the early 20th century, a HIZEWXEXMRK VI XSVI XLVSYKL Ålesund. It was rebuilt in the then-popular Art Nouveau style, Jugendstil. Now, it’s one of the prettiest ports in Norway, with colourful buildings adorned with elegant turrets and spires lining the cobbled streets. But the region’s natural beauty is the real star of the show, so don’t miss your chance to take part in the group hike to Sugarlump Mountain – when you reach the top, you’ll be rewarded with a 360-degree view of the stunning verdant landscape.

EXPERIENCE THE PRINCESS DIFFERENCE Aboard a MedallionClass™ Princess cruise, there are so many ways to connect.

• Share unforgettable experiences with your favourite people • Immerse yourself in a choice of more than 380 destinations • Create new forever friends with crew and fellow guests You can also cruise with confidence knowing that Princess Cruises works hard to make every journey as safe and sanitary as possible and offers a flexible cancellation policy. To find out more, visit princess.com/confidence

Ready to explore?

For more information and to book your cruise, visit princess.com or call 0344 338 8671

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BBC Countryfile Magazine takes you on dozens of thrilling journeys into the countryside every issue, through thought-provoking features and guided walks into enchanting landscapes. With stunning photography and the finest line-up of rural writers in the land, it’s your monthly escape to rural bliss.

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CROWD-FREE ESCAPES It’s been a long winter, so why not cheer yourself up by dreaming of a tranquil break? Here are 18 sensational holidays to unsung but gorgeous countryside, far from the crowded honeypots. We start with a trek through the green hills of Wales, with a gaggle of friendly packhorses to carry the gear

Photo: Phoebe Smith

WORDS Packhorse adventure and other holidays with horses by Phoebe Smith; crowd-free holidays by Dixe Wills

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Near Erwood above the winding River Wye, Phoebe and crew head on an overnight adventure, with companionable Welsh mountain ponies carrying their camping gear. The semi-feral ponies have been trained to accompany walkers using gentle ‘natural horsemanship’ techniques www.countryfile.com

t’s always a bit awkward to disagree with a walking guide – especially one who was born among the hills on which you are strolling. I said nothing at first when Susie lead me, calf-deep, into a stream, and I politely refrained from judgement when she insisted on stopping to eat when we’d only been on the trail 10 minutes. But when she led me directly into an overgrown patch of ferns and thistles she left me no choice.

“Susie,” I sighed, “it’s THIS way.”

Susie, I should clarify, is a Welsh mountain pony, one born into a

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semi-feral herd of quadrupeds said to have descended from the prehistoric Celtic breed that dates back to 1600BC. As such, her kind have roamed the rolling peaks around Powys for centuries, but that doesn’t mean Susie can tell a sheep path from a walking route. I was hiking alongside her on one of the many bridleways above Erwood (Erwyd), south of Builth Wells (LlanfairYm-Muallt) in Wales, to trial a new experience being trailblazed by 77-year-old Graham ‘Will’ Williams.

“These ponies were traditionally bred not to be ridden but to be used to transport goods, plough fields and

work in the mines,” Will explained on the day I arrived at his farmhouse to learn how to handle my pony. “They are hardy enough to live on the hills yearround in all weathers without human intervention, but they were vital to life in Wales, and it’s because of them we have the thousands of miles of rights of way in the countryside. But they are in trouble. Their jobs have been replaced by machines and, coupled with the costs involved in having them chipped and registered, the group of farmers who traditionally manage and breed them struggle, as they’re not commercially viable anymore.”

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ABOVE, LEFT TO RIGHT The ponies do lighten the load, but it’s best to leave map reading to the humans; the ponies’ pace makes for a relaxed hike

THE HEYDAY OF THE PACKHORSE

Photos: Phoebe Smith, Bridgeman

Horses and donkeys have been used to transport goods since they were first domesticated 6,000 years ago. The peak of the packhorse in Britain was between 1650 and 1800. In the north of England they would take cloth and limestone over the Pennines; in Wales they worked down in the mines to bring slate and coal up to the surface.

Packhorse trains would number as many as 40, each capable of carrying around 100kg particularly useful when muddy and rocky ground made the use of horse-drawn carts impossible. The network of bridleways, drove roads and packhorse trails they used can still be found across the UK today.

Narrow stone ‘packhorse bridges’ cross many a river, and ‘Packhorse Inn’ pubs are found across the country.

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‘The Road to the Mill’ by David Cox, 1849

Every year the ponies here would have been rounded up and counted, with colts removed to be sold to cover costs, and a stallion left to breed with the remaining mares. But with less demand for them, numbers have been steadily depleting. Where once there were thousands roaming the hills, there are now fewer than 500.

Being something of a pony whisperer, Will – who set up the UK’s first horseriding holiday company, Freerein (free-rein.co.uk) in Wales over 30 years ago – decided to do something to help.

His plan? To introduce non-riders to the joys of hiking with horses. “I want to show people that the ponies have value,” he explained as he introduced me to Susie and took me through the basics of horsemanship – including loading the saddle and panniers so the pony is balanced, picking mud and stones from their hooves (the ponies are not shod), grooming their coat and tying them up securely. His idea is to offer hikers multi-day walking and camping trips in the Cambrian Mountains, without having to carry equipment – the ponies do it for you.

“I got the idea from across the water,” said Will, “in places such as France, Italy and Morocco, where they had a similar problem with their donkeys, whose jobs were mechanised.

Locals there realised that they make

great pack animals that could easily navigate mountain trails and carry equipment for people on expeditions.

So they started mule-trekking, which is now a massive industry.”

Will plans to replicate that industry here. He has arranged with the farmers who manage the feral herd to take ownership of 16 ponies – among them many colts who would have been sold for food – so he can train them to use in his new company, Hooftrek (hooftrek.co.uk). They are all at various stages of learning how to walk with loads on their backs alongside human companions. And my steed Susie was one of the more experienced.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT “If we train the older ones first – which we have done for the last couple of years – then the younger ones learn from them,” Will explained as I set off on a training stroll with one of his human guides, Lou, to see how I coped with the pony on the open hillside. The idea was to get me accustomed to handling Susie before heading out on a self-guided overnight adventure. Later we would be wild camping – with permission – on farmland where a paddock was available in which to leave the pony safely while I slept in my tent.

Will plans to offer a number of experiences such as this – from one

CROWD FREE ESCAPES

Once at the secluded wild camping spot, it’s time for both bipeds and quadrupeds to take a weight off, enjoy some refreshment and rest their legs night to week-long escapades – including a fortnight experience that sees trekkers journey to the coast.

Having had only limited experience with horses and ponies (a handful of lessons as a child) initially I felt nervous as we set off on a grassy trail. But with Lou’s gentle encouragement, and Susie’s sturdy and surefooted gait, I soon forgot my concerns. The going was slow and steady: Susie set the pace. At first I found it sedate, being the kind of strider who storms ahead, but by the time I got back to the farmhouse I felt completely relaxed, as though I’d enjoyed a kind of meditation.

needed coaxing to cross a stream.

Over the next couple of hours – covering just under five kilometres but seeing not a single other walker – I noticed so many more things than I usually would when racing to a summit.

I heard the chirp of a grasshopper loud and shrill, I looked up to the sky when Susie stopped to snack on some foliage and witnessed a circling pair of red kites, and as we followed the drystone wall that edged the boundary of a farm I noticed the intricate patches of lichen coating the wall.

It was as if someone had suddenly taken a microscope to the countryside.

By the time we reached the campsite we handled our respective ponies like pros. We tied them up to remove their saddles and panniers, fed them their treats, brushed out their tails and manes, then set them loose to graze in the field. As they settled in to their overnight spot, we created ours, unpacking the tents, sleeping bags, stove and food the ponies had heroically carried. I’d never have been able to wild camp this far from any

“My pony taught me that sometimes, just sometimes, it pays to take your time”

SETTING OFF ON THE TRAIL After some hearty food for both me and my pony, I bid Will and Lou farewell and set off with a small group of other hikers for our overnight foray, with only our four-legged friends for guidance. Each pony had a different personality. Susie, being the eldest, was strong and wilful. One of the younger ponies – a white colt called Woody – was calm and laid-back, but www.countryfile.com

road with as much food and comfy kit as they’d enabled us to bring; it felt a little like glamping, but with the benefit of being miles from anyone else.

The night was spent listening to the occasional whinny of Susie, supping locally brewed ale and eating hot, homemade hearty stew while sitting around a glowing fire pit.

The next day the walk home would be a simple retracing of steps back to the farm. On the way Susie again set the pace. And while that once would have frustrated me, a moment came when she stopped for yet another snack. I sighed, but then turned to see she’d chosen a spot with a sweeping view of Pen Y Fan. The mountain appeared as a bluish haze on the horizon, its flattened edges sporting a blanket of cloud draped over it like silk.

I knew when I returned to my usual hikes my speed would naturally increase, but over those two days Susie taught me a great deal. She showed me that sometimes, just sometimes, it pays to take your time, and when out with a local guide you should definitely let them take the lead. CF

Phoebe Smith is a travel writer, photographer, presenter and broadcaster. She is host of the Wander Woman Podcast and author of 10 books, including Wilderness Weekends.

Turn over for more great crowd-free holidays

Try something different this year with an escape to quiet countryside...

HOLIDAYS WITH HORSES For the inexperienced, here are five ways to include horses on your next adventure.

1. STROLL WITH SHETLANDS Located on a working hill farm in Sterling, Scotland (the same family have been in residence here for more than a century), Castle Rednock Trekking Centre not only offers novices the opportunity to learn to ride, but also the option to take a stroll with their Shetland ponies. castlerednocktrekking.com 2. LEARN TO DRIVE A HORSE DRAWN CARRIAGE Based in Chaceley, Gloucestershire, Neddies and Nosebags runs half-day, full-day and week-long residential courses on the art of horse-carriage driving. neddiesandnosebags.co.uk 3. TREK WITH PONIES Traverse the countryside on horseback to see the hills from a different perspective. Pony trekking is offered across the UK in places such as the Brecon Beacons (cantref.com), Derbyshire (derbyshire-pony-trekking.co.uk) and even London (visitleevalley.org.uk).

4. WORK WITH SHIRES ON THE FARM On the lower slopes of May Hill, west of Gloucester, the folks at Cold Croft Farm are keen for everyone to learn traditional skills associated with the heavy horse breed. Half- and one-day experiences see you taking them out to work in the fields before finishing with a well-deserved pint in the pub. coldcroftfarm.co.uk

6. WILD COAST, MULL The Isle of Mull has a 300-mile coastline, a population of under 3,000 and oodles of wilderness. Take a one-day wildlife tour and spot golden and white-tailed eagles, otters, seals and more. Stay at Achnacraig Cottage in the midst of all the glorious nowhere. One-day wildlife tour, £60; naturescotland.com.

Achnacraig Cottage (sleeps six) costs from £325 a week. isleofmullcottages.com/cottage/ achnacraig-cottage.html

5. TRAVEL IN A HORSE DRAWN BARGE On the Kennet and Avon Canal, Berkshire, one of the last horse-drawn barges (pictured below) awaits to introduce you to the fastest way of slowing down. kennet-horse-boat.co.uk

7. FORGOTTEN HILLS, DENBIGHSHIRE Photos: Getty, Alamy

There’s plenty for walkers to enjoy in North Wales beyond busy Snowdonia.

Try out the generous network of footpaths along the upper Dee Valley, or the surprisingly remote moorland of the Berwyn range. Stay at The Landmark Trust’s Plas Uchaf, a glorious medieval ‘hall house’ above the Dee with easy access to the Berwyns. From £244 for four nights. landmarktrust.org.uk 36

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8. SECRET BEACHES, PEMBROKESHIRE Pembrokeshire is a beach-hopper’s delight. Avoid the crowds at Barafundle and head for lesser-known gems such as Bullslaughter Bay and Mowingward Bay. At nearby Stackpole Under The Stars there are yurts, luxury pods and safari tents, and plenty of space to pitch your own tent. Glamping from £110 a night, camping £25 (for two). stackpoleunderthestars.wales

10. GREAT ESTATES, YORKSHIRE From the landscaped ‘wilderness’ of Hackfall Wood (hackfall.org.uk) to the Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park (himalayangarden.com), discovering North Yorkshire’s less-frequented parks is a joy. Trundle jauntily between them in the eDub – based near Knaresborough, it’s the world’s only classic VW campervan for hire that’s entirely battery-powered. The campervan is £149 per night (including campsite and recharging). edubtrips.co.uk

9. BETWEEN SHORE AND MOOR, SOMERSET Get your seaside vibe on at Porlock Weir in Exmoor National Park. The bijou Locanda on the Weir hotel enjoys magnificent views over the 15th-century harbour, while local Exmoor Adventures (exmooradventures. co.uk) offers everything from paddleboarding and kayaking to archery and mountain biking. From £350 for two nights B&B. locandaontheweir.co.uk www.countryfile.com

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11. A LEAFY EDEN, POWYS Seek out the quiet of the night in or around the Brecon Beacons National Park – one of only 18 Dark Sky Reserves on the planet – and go stargazing. Stay at Plas Bach eco-cabin and during the day you can enjoy its seven acres of sumptuous garden, woodland, orchards and fields. From £88 a night (sleeps two). canopyandstars.co.uk/britain/ wales/powys/lower-house/plas-bach

12. A SECLUDED RETREAT, CORNWALL The Roseland Peninsula is a ravishing corner of Cornwall yet most visitors rush to St Mawes and miss out on its tranquil interior. Hire a boat or take a sailing lesson on the picturesque Percuil River with Roseland Paddle and Sail (paddleandsail. com). And stay in one of four pretty holiday cottages on the glorious Place Estate, with its manor house and church, at St Anthony-in-Roseland. From £378 a week.

01872 264441, roselandcottages.co.uk

Photos: Alamy, Getty

13. SIMPLE PLEASURES OF THE PEAK, DERBYSHIRE

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Standing alone on the National Trust’s Longshaw Estate with magnificent Peak District views on every side, White Edge Lodge is a holiday cottage in the classic tradition, even down to the roll-top bath. Hire bikes from nearby Monsal Trail Cycle Hire (hassopstation.co.uk) and hit the familyfriendly cycle path following a former railway line. From £659 a week (sleeps five). 03448 002070, nationaltrust. org.uk/holidays/white-edge-lodge-derbyshire www.countryfile.com

CROWD FREE ESCAPES

15. A FLOATING PARADISE, DEVON Fancy some time simply lounging around reading that book you never have time for, while rocking gently on water? Try Blackbird. Moored on a private lake in north Devon, it’s a brand new deluxe narrowboat just for two. Its “patchy mobile reception” and lack of internet make it perfect for a total escape. Four nights from £400. tregullandandco.co.uk

14. NEST IN THE WILDERNESS, SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS Head for the Cairngorms and you’ll find the Crofthouse on a farm in the remote fastnesses of the national park. Ideal for a large family, there’s the beautiful River Spey to explore and a separate studio thrown in free, where guests can paint, draw, sing, dance, or practice yoga to their heart’s content.

It’s £786 a week (sleeps eight). 07811 322722, myhighlandcroft.co.uk

16. RAILWAY RETREAT, SUTHERLAND The beautifully converted railway carriages at Rogart – one of the nation’s most remote railway stations – is in one of the least populated parts of Britain. This inspiring get-awayfrom-it-all destination comes with a nearby nature reserve and expanses of sandy beach beyond. The carriages are open from April to October; £58 a night (sleeps two) or £88 (sleeps four).

07833 641226, sleeperzzz.com

17. A GREEN ESCAPE, NORTHUMBERLAND The hamlet of Greenhaugh is home to the Holly Bush, a 300-year-old drovers’ inn that ticks all the boxes: tasty locally sourced food, real log fire and wonderfully comfortable rooms. Nearby Kielder Water and Forest Park (visitkielder.com) offers everything from watersports and mountain biking to zip wires and zorbing. Double rooms from £95.

01434 240391, hollybushinn.net

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Birds on tour Each spring, thousands of birds flock to British shores from the far-flung lands where they spend the winter months. As we anticipate their imminent return, we visit them in the exotic destinations that serve as their second homes

Photo: Getty

By Dominic Couzens

s you wake up on a frosty February morning, it’s hard not to envy a swallow, 9,600km away in southern Africa with the sun on its back.

Some of our swallows will spend this very day flitting around herds of grazing animals, such as elephants, buffalo and wildebeest, snapping up flying insects disturbed by the herbivores’ feet. Once back in the UK, they will do the same around herds of cows.

Many of our familiar bird species are ‘on tour’ right now. About 50 species in all leave our

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shores each year on a substantial southward journey, to spend the British winter in gentler climates. Most of these species go to Africa, but not all. The Manx shearwater flies across the oceans to spend the winter off Argentina, while, famously, the Arctic tern swaps the extreme north for the extreme south, reaching and sometimes circumnavigating Antarctica. At the other end of the scale, birds such as blackcaps may take the short-haul option and while the winter away in Spain, alongside human ex-pats.

Wherever they end up, there is no doubt that their immediate surroundings will look

British ospreys cover up to 5,000km on their migration to overwinter on West African shores.

Travelling solo, the journey can take months

“February is the big moving month – soon the swallow will be on the wing”

Photos: Naturepl.com, Alamy, Getty

considerably different to the frigid, bare British countryside in winter. In Spain or North Africa, migrants will forage among olive leaves and evergreen scrub. Willow warblers in tropical Africa feed in the crowns of acacia trees on lush savannah, where only giraffes can reach.

Cuckoos will disappear into dense forests, while garden warblers will head into thick montane scrub with a biodiversity many times higher than ours. Northern wheatears swap moorland for semi-desert landscapes, and nightingales will sometimes throw off the reticence they show in the UK and feed in gardens and patches of cultivated land in Africa.

However, much as ‘our’ birds find themselves in a changed landscape, they do not become fundamentally different. A spotted flycatcher in tropical Africa does what a spotted flycatcher does in Britain: it makes darting sallies to catch insects in flight. It might catch termites and other exotic invertebrates, but its feeding methods are much the same. Arctic terns dive for fish, turtle doves eat grain on the ground and reed warblers climb up and down stems of marshland plants with their strong feet, just as they do every day of their lives in the UK. If anything, it is our resident birds that change diet the most when our migrants leave these shores; blue tits and many others switch from feeding on caterpillars and other insects to a diet of seeds and nuts.

It’s easy to forget that our migrants don’t just wake up one morning under African skies. Most take a month or more to get to their wintering 42

TOP Wheatears migrate by night, relying on their fat stores for the journey across the Mediterranean ABOVE When spending the winter in West Africa, osprey hunt for fish in Atlantic coastal waters

grounds, and they must adapt to any places they pass on their travels, as well as their destination. They need to overfly the English Channel and the Mediterranean, then the Sahara Desert. Settling into the African bush must be easy by comparison.

The advantages of going south are obvious, particularly for insectivorous birds. Swallows and nightingales would be taking a big chance to risk a British winter, when just a few very cold days could be enough to starve them to death.

Further south there is more food all year round, but there is also much more competition. Not only are there African resident birds, but also migrants from Europe and Asia. A patch of scrubby African forest is quite a melting pot of nationalities between October and March.

The most intriguing question about our summer visitors is not why they go south, but why they come back at all. On the whole, there are two factors that compel them to come here.

First, there is plenty of room to hold territory without being crowded out by African birds.

And secondly, the long daylight hours allow birds to feed their young for longer every day, helping them to grow quickly. And it is this, on a February morning, that beckons the swallow northward. February is the big moving month – soon it will be on the wing.

OSPREY The osprey’s practice of hunting fish by plunging into water from a height is easily translatable from Britain to West Africa, where our birds winter. The practice also works equally well in salt water as in fresh. Five thousand kilometres away, our birds mainly stay on the coast in winter, fishing in the shallow, sheltered water just offshore, or along large rivers. They compete with African fish eagles in some areas.

In Britain, ospreys arrive in March and April to inhabit freshwater lakes, mainly in Scotland.

They’re also found at Rutland Water, in the midlands, and in Poole Harbour, Dorset.

WHEATEAR The wheatear is mostly a bird of cropped grassland and moorland, commonest by far in northern Britain. In October it departs for www.countryfile.com

ARCTIC TERN Famous as the land bird with the longest migration of all, the Arctic tern retreats south to the waters of Antarctica during the British winter. The round-trip is about 40,000km, but some tagged individuals have travelled as much as 70,000km in a single year. Apart from skipping past icebergs (they are drawn to pack ice), sharing their feeding grounds with penguins and probably spending more of their time flying, Arctic terns feed on much the same down south as they do in Britain, catching small fish, insects and crustaceans. They arrive here in April to breed on Scotland’s islands and coasts, especially the northern isles. They can also be seen on the Farne Islands and in Anglesey, Wales. www.countryfile.com

MIGRATION

“Cuckoos fly to West Africa then journey into the Congo Basin – at least 6,500km” Africa, with European birds spreading across from west to east just south of the Sahara. They settle in distinctly arid areas, often at altitude, with rocky outcrops, where they keep a territory and defend it aggressively from other birds. They feed on invertebrates in the same way everywhere, perching on a rock or bush-top to survey the scene, then running or flying after their prey.

CHIFFCHAFF Migrant chiffchaffs leaving these islands can winter anywhere between Spain and tropical West Africa, with the bulk settling around Senegal, just south of the Sahara. They live in a wide variety of scrubby areas, often in arid regions – rather a different profile from the tall, lush deciduous woodland that is their typical British breeding habitat. Chiffchaffs use the same foraging methods, restlessly searching the leaves for small invertebrates. They leave their wintering grounds in February and arrive back here in March. The chiffchaff is widespread, breeding in woods throughout Britain.

YELLOW WAGTAIL This buttery-yellow delight is a much-declining bird of meadows, wetlands and arable farmland.

One of the best ways to see it is at the feet of horses and cattle, feeding on the flies disturbed by hooves. Translate that to Africa, and you can add in zebras and elephants. The yellow wagtail winters across tropical Africa, but most of our 44

birds are in the west. They feed in much the same way everywhere, dashing after invertebrates on the ground, or darting into the air. In Britain, they’re found mainly in central and eastern England, from April to September.

REDSTART

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT The yellow wagtail is equally at home among zebras and antelope as British cows; some chiffchaffs take a shorter migration, overwintering in Spain; redstarts mainly feed on insects, but also eat berries and worms

In Britain, this delightful robin-like bird is strongly attached to the sessile oak woods of the north and west with their tangles of lichen and moss, dripping with insect life all summer long. Perhaps surprisingly, it swaps this lavish habitat with much drier, scrubby habitats in the Sahel of West Africa, even in Mali, much of which is desert. In Africa, it probably spends more time feeding on the ground, like a robin.

Common in much of Britain, you can find redstarts in the New Forest, Central Wales and the Lake District, as well as much of Scotland.

SWALLOW The swallow has one of the longest migrations of any bird, with the British population www.countryfile.com

heading for the eastern part of South Africa, where they arrive in November as harbingers of spring. They feed there in much the same way, swooping low to catch juicy flying insects, although they also nab some seeds from Acacia cyclops, hovering at the tips of the branches.

They also roost in huge numbers in reed beds.

the turtle dove occurs principally in South East England. Look for it in summer at the Knepp Estate in West Sussex, Martin Down in Hampshire, and much of East Anglia, such as RSPB Fowlmere, Cambridgeshire.

CUCKOO

It’s quite unusual for a seed-eating bird to be a long-distance migrant, but the turtle dove breaks the rule, leaving in September to fly to the Sahel region, a dry, scrubby belt south of the Sahara, in countries such as Mali and Senegal. Here it is much more arid that in the farmland of Britain, although the turtle dove simply feeds on seeds and grains, as it does here. Now rare in Britain after a drastic decline,

GOING INTO HIDING Because they are less commonly seen, many people assume that yellowhammers (top right) and skylarks (below) migrate away from Britain in the winter. But they don’t – these two species tough it out here over the cold months. Yellowhammers moult and become less obviously yellow, and stop singing. Meanwhile, skylarks gather into flocks, and feed and even sleep on the ground. They may move from upland areas to coastal marshes, and even in January they might burst into song for a brief while.

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Come September, turtle doves fly as far as the Sahel; swallows arrive in South Africa in time for the southern spring; the cuckoo overwinters deep in Congolese rainforests

Tracking of cuckoos in recent years has revealed much about their extraordinary migration. Many adults leave Britain on their southward journey as early as June. They then fly to West Africa (Nigeria for example), followed by a journey into the deep rainforest of the Congo Basin – a minimum of 6,500km – where they spend most of the winter. This is a completely different habitat to the marshes, moors and farmland they inhabit in Britain, and they are hardly ever seen in the rainforest.

The cuckoo returns to Britain in April.

Following a big population decline in the south of England, they are now most common in northern England and Scotland. CF

COMING UP IN OUR MARCH ISSUE Next month, look out for our follow-up feature on where and when to see our summer migrants return, including a handy timetable.

Dominic Couzens is a birder, author and journalist who specialises in writing about birds and natural history. He lives in Dorset and is also a professional field trip guide.

Photos: Getty, FLPA, Alamy, Naturepl.com, RSPB Images

TURTLE DOVE

COUNTRYFILE ISSUES

JOHN CRAVEN HOW FLEA TREATMENTS ARE POLLUTING OUR WATERWAYS hese are worrying times for our waterways. Across the length and breadth of England, rivers, lakes and streams are polluted by a filthy mixture of sewage, chemical discharges and agricultural run-off. A measly 16% of them are rated as being of a good ecological standard.

The bleak picture comes from the Environment Agency, which checked on 4,600 waterways, and the results don’t bode well for reaching the official target of 100% healthy waters by 2027.

Now comes news of an extra threat from an unexpected source: Britain’s pet owners, as they get rid of fleas on our 11 million cats and 10 million dogs.

The pesticides involved – fipronil and imidacloprid – have been banned on farms but there is no restriction on their use in flea control products. I’ve read claims that one dose of imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid, is enough to wipe out 60 million bees. Researchers from the University of Sussex found rivers to be routinely and chronically contaminated with both these highly toxic chemicals and say the findings are “extremely concerning”.

From 3,861 samples taken from 20 UK rivers, fipronil was found in 98% of them and imidacloprid in 66%. Highest levels were downstream of treatment works, implying they were washed into drains and sewers after being applied to pets, with potentially devastating effects on water insects and the food chain that depends on

Photo: Getty

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RESPONSIBLE USE

Avoid using unnecessary pesticides by only treating your pets when you see fleas or when they show signs of infestation

“Pet owners need to know they’re not causing destruction” them – from fish to birds.

The charity Buglife is e-petitioning Parliament, demanding these pesticides be banned immediately.

“Populations of our mayflies, caddisflies, water beetles and other aquatic life are being imperilled by these incredibly potent nerve agents,” says its chief executive Matt Shardlow.

“There are many other similar chemicals used as pet medicines but we do not know if they are polluting the countryside or how toxic they are to wildlife,” Shardlow adds. “Pet owners need to know they’re not causing environmental destruction so it’s imperative the Government undertakes a full review of the risks posed by flea treatments.”

Oxfordshire vet Martin Whitehead worked with the Sussex researchers and says that, until now, many in his profession have not realised the dangers posed. He doesn’t agree with the widely used practice of ‘blanket’ treatment, applying the liquid to pets every month whether they have fleas or not. “I advise my clients not to treat during the cold months from December to late April when there are fewer fleas and ticks around,” he told me.

“Regrettably, there is no other effective treatment; hundreds of natural remedies claim to kill fleas, but they don’t. So less is best and the veterinary profession urgently needs to adopt the responsible use of parasiticides in the same way it has done with antibiotics.”

Whitehead is calling for the Veterinary Medicines Directorate to strengthen environmental assessments when authorising pet pesticides.

But what can dog and cat owners do to help the environment while lessening the chance of a flea infestation?

Whitehead’s advice is to use a fine comb regularly and should you spot fleas, that is the time to apply treatment. Other precautions are to change all bedding regularly and vacuum floors, furniture and skirting boards. Then just hope your pet doesn’t start to scratch!

Watch John on Countryfile, Sunday evenings on BBC One. 47

SPECIAL REPORT

THE ROAD TO PEACE

Photos: xxxxxxxxxx

As growing traffic threatens to spoil parts of our national parks with noise, fumes and delays, will we have to leave our cars at the park boundary?

Andrew Griffiths asks whether technology can provide an answer

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www.countryfile.com

NEWS he 442 bus runs from Buxton to Ashbourne in the Peak District. It must be one of the most beautiful bus journeys in England, winding its way along country lanes as it criss-crosses the River Dove, which marks the Derbyshire and Staffordshire border.

The bus visits some of the Peak District National Park’s prettiest and most visited settlements, such as Tissington, with its 17th-century hall. The village’s famous welldressings alone welcome 50,000 visitors a year. This bus should be packed to the gunnels with tourists, but instead the service has been cut to the bone. The Sunday service, which you would think the heaviest used by visitors, was cancelled altogether in 2018.

As you sit on that half-empty bus in the summer months, there is plenty of time to contemplate the spectacular White Peak scenery, because the chances are you will be snarled up in a traffic queue. As you watch yet another farmer waste half a day sitting in traffic trying to reach his fields, it’s tempting to think that in order to prise us out of our cars it is going to take a force at least as seismic as that which produced the landscape we have all come to enjoy.

Yet the congestion is now such – and the imperative to reduce carbon emissions so great – that national park leaders all over the country are starting to mutter the unthinkable: is it time to ban private cars from our national parks?

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Photo: Alamy

EMERGENCY POWERS We all saw the pictures over the Covid-19 summer, as lockdown restrictions eased and people suddenly descended on the nation’s honeypots. The people queueing to walk up Snowdon, police towing away cars that had been carelessly abandoned rather than parked. In the Lake District, the situation became so bad that parked cars blocked a narrow lane on the eastern shore of Coniston, preventing an ambulance from responding to a call-out. Cumbria County Council was forced to use emergency powers to close the lane.

“It was a free-for-all,” one observer told me.

“People knew parking enforcement officers weren’t working, so they were leaving their cars anywhere.” The road remained closed to tourist traffic for the remainder of the summer.

The great fear in the national parks is that with coronavirus restrictions showing no signs of abating, next summer threatens to bring more of the same. This is unsustainable, both in terms of its effect on local communities and on the environment. www.countryfile.com

National park leaders are guided by the Sandford Principle, which came out of a review headed by Lord Sandford in 1974. It states that: “Where irreconcilable conflicts exist between conservation and public enjoyment, then conservation interest should take priority.”

“It is a difficult conversation because people have different views,” says Emma Moody, lead sustainable transport strategy advisor with the Lake District National Park, of the Coniston road closure. “Some people think they have a right to drive along there – it’s a road. Others think that it should be made available for sustainable transport, so people can walk and cycle along there and residents can get to their houses.”

The congestion that led to the Coniston road closure is repeated at ‘honeypot’ locations all over England and Wales. Currently, 93% of visitors travel to the national parks by car. The Lake District’s community of around 40,000 has to cope with 20 million visitors a year.

These numbers demonstrate that something has to give. “It’s not about reducing the number of visitors, we need to get that clear,” says Moody. “We don’t want fewer visitors, but we want fewer of them to use their cars.”

CUTS TO FUNDING The national parks have long understood the need to get people out of their cars and on to public transport, but as the urgency has increased, the public transport network has got worse. According to the Campaign for Better Transport, overall funding for bus services has been cut by 33% during the years of austerity. In some rural areas, such as

OPPOSITE The No. 77 plies a route between Buttermere and Keswick but is suspended in winter ABOVE Cars throng the A5 beside Llyn Ogwen in the heart of Snowdonia

“It’s not about reducing the number of visitors, we need to get that clear.

We don’t want fewer visitors, but we want fewer of them to use their cars” Emma Moody, lead strategy advisor, Lake District National Park 49

Derbyshire, funding has been cut up to 55%, and Cumbria County Council no longer subsidises commercial services at all.

OPENING UP THE COUNTRYSIDE

“Over the next 25 years we are looking at a 12% increase in our visitors...

How do we cope with that?”

Alison Kohler, director of conservation and communities, Dartmoor National Park

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Rural bus services are funded by local authorities for their residents, not visitors, and 88% of households in national parks own cars: this is not a recipe for a good rural public transport network, or a low-carbon economy.

In 2019, Julian Glover published the Landscapes Review, a Governmentcommissioned independent review of national parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs). Glover called for radical change in the way our national parks are run, including widening access to those sectors of society that do not currently visit the countryside, and the parks taking a strategic lead on the planning of sustainable public transport to get them there. He pointed to pilot projects in the Lake District ,which now form a part of its ‘Transport 2040 Vision’, to show what was possible.

“The programme itself was set up to tackle visitor travel, not because we don’t care about local people by any means, but because that has the biggest impact on carbon and on

traffic,” says Moody. “But while it was focused on the visitor, we did find that local people made a lot of use of [transport] measures that we put in.”

The solutions are out there, it is just a case of people’s willingness to use them. Common elements for all the parks include a transport hub on the edges where people can arrive by train or car (electric cars, of course – charging points would have to be provided) and then swap to either electric buses, cycles or ebikes, walking routes, or some combination of all three. The common theme is sustainable integrated transport – and no cars.

For Alison Kohler, director of conservation and communities at Dartmoor National Park, getting people to switch to public transport is not “just something that is nice to do” but “a need” to do.

“Over the next 25 years we are looking at a 12% increase in our visitors just through new development on the edge of the national park,” says Kohler. “How do we cope with that? Do we start building lots more car parks?”

The plan is to move people on to sustainable transport with a mix of carrot and stick. These might include car-free days and road charging, with exemptions for local people. One idea of www.countryfile.com

NEWS Kohler’s is to have a car-free day with the aim of re-experiencing the peace of that first spring lockdown, when so many people were moved to connect with nature for the first time.

It may be that there is a generational aspect and the boomers – those in their 70s and 80s – will be the most difficult to separate from their cars. Research shows that younger people are less likely to drive now than they were 25 years ago, and more likely to use public transport.

Ruth Bradshaw, policy and research manager for the Campaign for National Parks, sees public transport provision as a matter of social equity, in addition to the environmental concerns. Better public transport is essential if the Landscapes Review’s recommendation that access is widened to include different socio-economic groups is to be realised.

“There is a lot of evidence that young people are less likely to have driving licenses,” says Bradshaw. “So there is a whole group of people who are only going to be able to get [to the national parks] by public transport.”

While Covid-19 has devastated public transport services in the short term, Bradshaw thinks that long term it may have created the kind of disruption to the business model that provokes real change.

“It would require a whole reorganisation of the way public transport and bus services are run in this country,” says Bradshaw. “I think this current situation is an opportunity to do that, in the way that all sorts of things are being relooked at now.”

LEFT Congestion erodes the peace and beauty of Ambleside, former home of William Wordsworth ABOVE Last summer, congestion and dangerous parking prompted parking restrictions around Loch Achray in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park RIGHT Bus services in rural areas have seen funding cuts over the past 10 years

Andrew Griffiths writes about conservation and the environment and covers topics ranging from policy to the practical restoration of natural processes. He lives in the Peak District.

HIGH TECH TRAVEL SOLUTIONS

Photo: Alamy

“In the next few years, we will see some of the digital services that are affecting transport in the cities begin to work in the countryside,” says Julian Glover, author of the Landscapes Review. “The idea that you might be able to do ride-sharing, or get a taxi to pick you up – you will be able to go for a walk and use a form of transport to take you back which you could summon on your phone.”

Glover is echoing the call of the Campaign for National Parks in wanting Uber-style tech to come into our national parks. It is already starting to happen: the Vamooz app uses crowdfunding

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technology to share the costs of buses into the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Any group or individual can use the app to plan a journey that others can then sign up for and buy ‘in bulk’.

Liftshare matches people up to share journeys, meaning fewer cars clogging the lanes. And there is a whole army of volunteer drivers and minibuses in our national parks who are taking over the role of commercial bus operators that cannot run these routes at a profit. If these vehicles can be ‘networked’ with technology, on-demand services can put an end to near-empty buses on the roads.

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Falling for the fells Struck by the beauty of the Lake District, Terry Abraham set out to record the life of three of its famous hills on film. As he completes the trilogy with his new film about Helvellyn, Terry reveals how he first fell in love with the fells WORDS Vivienne Crow

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Terry Abraham captures an astonishing sunrise on Nethermost Pike, the second highest summit of the Helvellyn range. Terry camped out in all weathers, enduring storms and snow, to film beautiful wintry dawns and sunsets for his Lakeland mountain trilogy www.countryfile.com

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Photo: David Forster

MY LAKELAND

“I wanted to capture one mountain through the seasons in the best possible drama and light” paraglider soars majestically over snow-covered spines of rock. Two off-piste skiers launch themselves over a cliff edge and go hurtling down the mountainside. A wildlife expert scans a rock face for rare Arcticalpine plants. These are just a few of the scenes from a new documentary. Is it about the Alps? No – the subject is England’s third highest mountain, Helvellyn.

Life of a Mountain: Helvellyn is the final instalment in a film trilogy looking at a year on three Lakeland peaks, the other two being Scafell Pike and Blencathra. The project, which has taken up a decade of film-maker and photographer Terry Abraham’s life, was born out of frustration. “Production companies put all their big money into programmes all over the world, but not here; you never see places like the Lake District at their best on TV,” he says.

Because Terry thinks nothing of wild camping on top of a mountain in the direst weather waiting to capture just a few minutes of spectacular sunrise, he knew he could get the shots many programme-makers were missing.

“The time doesn’t mean anything to me; I just enjoy being out there.”

In 2013, when he started work on his first film – about Scafell Pike, England’s highest peak – he had no idea it would make it to DVD, let alone cinema and TV screens, viewed by hundreds of

Photos: Paul Bacon, Terry Abraham

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thousands of people. He’d just been made redundant from an internet security firm in the East Midlands and had time on his hands.

“It was a passion project; I was doing it for me,” he explains. “I just wanted to capture one mountain through the seasons in the best possible drama and light – the way I see it when I’m out. There’d be no narrator; I wanted the authentic voices of the people who live and work there.” In each documentary, interviews with

TOP LEFT Terry picks a precarious camping site on Angle Tarn Pikes while filming for Helvellyn ABOVE Ullswater lies under a shroud at dawn, captured from atop Sheffield Pike in summer

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farmers, rangers and walkers are interspersed with aerial footage, time-lapse imagery and other breathtaking landscape photography.

CONSERVING COMMUNITIES The Helvellyn film addresses several conservation issues, subjects that Terry – a patron of the landscape charity Friends of the Lake District – feels passionately about. He fears the National Park Authority has “completely www.countryfile.com

lost sight” of its role. “It should be more about conservation and green infrastructure. But that’s all left to local charities such as Friends of the Lake District and Cumbria Wildlife Trust.”

Terry believes the authority, along with some businesses, is obsessed with bringing more visitors to the area, leading to “over-tourism”.

Communities are being “killed off”, he says, as holiday cottages and second homes fill Lakeland villages, causing local families to be

Don’t miss it Life of a Mountain: Helvellyn will air on BBC Four in late January

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SIX TIPS FOR PHOTOGRAPHING THE FELLS You don’t need expensive equipment to capture stunning images. Here are Terry’s tips for getting the best shots

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“It’s not the tools, it’s the craftsman. You don’t have to have the best camera, although there are limits – for instance, with image quality on phones.”

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“Get out during the golden hour – at dawn and dusk – when the light, the colours and drama are at their best.”

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“It’s not always about the [photographic] rule of thirds and composition; it’s about what inspires you. If you’re passionate, that will shine through.”

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Photos: Nathan Buckley, Terry Abraham

“Don’t be afraid to explore and wander – follow your eye. It doesn’t have to be the big hills. They’ll give good views, but not the best views.”

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“Get out in winter when there’s snow on the fells and the sun is low in the sky. It’s dramatic, even in the middle of the day.”

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“Pay attention to the weather – be in the shadow of storms. So, if the weather’s coming from the west, stay out east where the cloud’s likely to break and lift.” www.countryfile.com

priced out of the housing market and facilities such as GP surgeries and schools to close. “We could very easily kill the goose that lays the golden egg.”

When it came to filming Helvellyn, Terry – a self-proclaimed perfectionist – allowed himself two years, so that he’d have two chances in each season to get the shots he envisaged. By this time, he’d achieved the dream held since he was a teenager, to move from Nottinghamshire to Cumbria. Living in the picturesque Eden Valley, squeezed between Lakeland and the North Pennines, he had easier access to the fells. “If the clag [mist] was down, I’d be home checking the footage, making notes, thinking of ideas,” he says.

Otherwise, he was out every day. www.countryfile.com

“Sometimes, I’d be on what I’d call a ‘dawn raid’. I’d give my wife a gentle kiss at two in the morning and say, ‘I’m going out’. ‘What? Now?’ ‘Yeah, it’s gonna be good.’ And I’d be out the door.” Terry doesn’t drive, so he uses an electric mountain bike to get around. “I can peg it round to Glenridding, leave my bike at a friend’s house and get out on foot on the fells, ready for sunrise. With sunset, though, I tend to camp out.”

ABOVE A lone walker trudges through snow towards Blencathra’s Gategill Fell LEFT Terry directs hill farmer and walking guide Alison O’Neill before shooting a scene in Helvellyn

RISKING LIFE AND LIMB Camping out means lugging a massive rucksack, weighing as much as 70kg, up and down steep slopes, often in heavy rain or ferocious winds. “It’s horrible going so slow up the fells, and it’s knee-breaking coming down, 57

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MY LAKELAND Terry’s three favourite places in the Lake District

Photos: Alamy, Terry Abraham

1 Heughscar Hill, above Askham. “For me, it’s no effort to get to it from home and it’s one of those small fells that gives big views. I go up there a lot and just sit and relax.”

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2 Whiteless Edge, above Buttermere. “I like the composition from there, looking down to Buttermere and over to Gable, especially in the late evening in late summer, when the light starts coming down the valley.”

3 Charnley Crag Cairn on the southern flanks of Esk Pike. “It gives you an epic view of Upper Eskdale and the Scafells. Because you’re on a bit of an edge, they’re right there in your face.”

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MY LAKELAND

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“I wanted to run everywhere on the fells. I couldn’t believe such beauty existed”

but I split things down into smaller goals and keep going.”

It seems something of an understatement when Terry refers to himself as a “tough cookie” and I’m not surprised to hear his wife Sue would rather he got a “proper job”. He hesitates a moment and then, admitting she’s right to worry, lists an inventory of horrific accidents, including having his finger partially severed by a drone, falling five metres into a river and smashing his skull in a near-fatal bike accident. “I’ve broken bones and all sorts, and I still go out. It’s mind over matter. I think, ‘forget the pain, I’ll get my reward with all the joy of the experience and the views I capture on camera’.”

Terry’s love of being immersed in nature stems from his Nottinghamshire childhood, www.countryfile.com

including many happy hours spent on his grandparents’ farm. “It wouldn’t happen nowadays, but my grandparents, or my mother, would just let me out the door and see me at tea-time,” he recalls. “I’d be out in the countryside, climbing trees, making dens, watching wildlife.”

His love affair with Lakeland began when a school friend invited him, aged 13, to join a family holiday in Patterdale. Suddenly, the outdoors took on a whole new meaning. “I just wanted to run everywhere on the fells. I couldn’t believe such beauty existed.”

Looking at it through adult eyes, he adds: “It’s the aesthetics. You go to places like the Highlands and, although there are some iconic mountains there, they don’t have the character of the individual Lake District fells. And how the weather dances around those fells and in the valleys is always different.”

After Life of a Mountain: Helvellyn premiered in November 2020, Terry promised Sue he’d take things a bit easier, but it’s hard to imagine this hard-working film-maker slowing down.

After telling me of plans to focus on small-scale projects, he confesses he has a more ambitious idea germinating.

“Something very different,” Terry adds intriguingly. But you can be sure that, whatever it is, it won’t keep him away from his beloved Lakeland fells. CF

Terry Abraham’s book to accompany the films Life on the Mountains (£19.85), and the DVD Life of a Mountain: Helvellyn (£16.99) are available from stridingedge.com Vivienne Crow is a writer and photographer who specialises in travel and the outdoors.

Turn over for six great upland holiday ideas

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HOLIDAYS IN THE HILLS Six gorgeous, crowd-free uplands to explore

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Photos: Alamy, Getty

1 NORTH PENNINES On Terry’s doorstep, the North Pennines is often referred to as England’s ‘last wilderness’.

Rolling expanses of lonely moorland provide a habitat for rare wildlife, including hen harriers and black grouse, while the area’s geology has given rise to spectacular features, such as High Force waterfall (pictured). Mining, particularly for lead, helped the communities of Alston and Allendale to thrive; these towns are still handy bases for exploring the area today.

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2 EXMOOR While crowds flock to Dartmoor, many people forget South West England has another national park. Reaching a high point of 519m on Dunkery Beacon (pictured), Exmoor is home to rolling, heather-clad moorland, steep-sided wooded valleys and a 40km stretch of crazily undulating cliffs. Coastal settlements include Lynton, Porlock and, just outside the park boundaries, Minehead. Further inland, the

6 villages of Winsford and Withypool contain reminders of the area’s prehistoric past.

the dense forests, a rugged landscape dotted with lochans and vast tracts of blanket bog.

3 SHROPSHIRE HILLS Located close to England’s border with Wales, the Shropshire Hills AONB contains dozens of relatively low-lying tops divided by a patchwork of fields and woods. Highlights include the Stiperstones’ quartzite tors, the limestone escarpment of Wenlock Edge and the windswept moorland ridge Long Mynd (pictured). The largest town in the AONB is Church Stretton, with Ludlow just outside its boundaries.

5 PRESELI HILLS, PEMBROKESHIRE What they lack in altitude, the Preseli Hills more than make up for in atmosphere.

Prehistoric people made their mark on these Pembrokeshire moors and heathland, leaving behind burial cairns (pictured), hillforts and a ridge-top track thought to be 5,000 years old.

The coastal towns of Fishguard and Newport aren’t far away, while several small villages, including Pontfaen, lie at the foot of the range.

4 GALLOWAY HILLS, EAST AYRSHIRE The Highlands isn’t the only place in Scotland where you’ll find rough and remote hills. The Galloway range (pictured), rising to 843m at its highest summit, lies in the south-west of the country, far from any major towns. Intrepid walkers accessing these uplands from Newton Stewart or Dalmellington will discover, above

6 CAIRNGORMS It’s here that you’ll encounter some of Britain’s most extreme weather. It’s not unusual for winds in excess of 100mph to rip across the tundra of the Cairngorm Plateau, or for snow patches to persist all year on Ben Macdui (pictured). The hills are accessed from Aviemore in the west or from Braemar and Ballater in the east.

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TO PROTECT TECT T ANCIENT FORESTS WE URGENTLY Y NEED MORE ROSES* The world’s forests have never been so important and never been so under threat. By becoming an International Tree Foundation (ITF) member you can join a global movement of dedicated forest-defenders like Rose, restoring, conserving and protecting ancient forests worldwide.

ITF Members have never been more needed.

Your support will help: • Restore biodiversity • Conserve ancient forests • Protect sustainable livelihoods

Free eco-tote bag for every ery new member ber

You can join Rose today. Be part of the movement to conserve rvve and an restore forests worldwide at www.InternationalTreeFoundation.org/Countryfile

*Rose Wamalwa (pictured) is an ITF partner working to protect the ancient Kakamega forest in Kenya. Photo credit: Globe Gone Green Charity Number: 1106269

W I L D P E O P L E : C H A R L E S WAT E R T O N

Conservation pioneer Did you know the world’s first nature reserve was created in 1826 near Wakefield?

Debbie Rolls profiles its founder, the extraordinary Charles Waterton hroughout his life, the most likely place to find Charles Waterton (1782–1865) was up a tree. A committed nature lover, he turned his family home – Walton Hall, near Wakefield – into a sanctuary for wildlife, establishing the world’s first nature reserve. In his broad Yorkshire accent, dressed in rags, he would happily talk about the 123 species of birds living there. As the naturalist and author Gerald Durrell said of him, “we have always needed eccentrics to point the way”.

As a child, Waterton wandered woods, watching birds and foxes. At school he craved fields, not books. The Jesuits at Stonyhurst College found a way to justify his passions by making him the school ratand fox-catcher.

In 1802 he travelled to Spain, encountering flamingos and vultures, but also impressed by flocks of goldfinches. He wondered if the relative lack of wildlife in England was due to industrialisation and hunting. His time in Spain was cut short by yellow fever, a Swedish sea captain enabling his escape from a quarantined Malaga, where 10,000 had already died. Waterton’s travels also exposed him to malaria and pneumonia. He dealt with spells of ill health by self-administered purging and bloodletting, and had little regard for physical comfort, sleeping in the attic without a bed, the window open so owls and bats could share his roost.

He voyaged to British Guiana in 1804 to manage his uncle’s sugar plantations, which were worked by

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slave labour. In 1812 – his uncle and father having died – he was at last able to leave the family estate and venture into the interior to explore. His journeys in Guiana and Brazil are related in his book Wanderings in South America (1825) which contains the first accurate description of a sloth.

This unfortunate creature – and other preserved animals he brought home – can be seen in Wakefield Museum.

Waterton developed a form of field taxidermy. He was sometimes accompanied by John Edmonstone, a slave whom he instructed in preserving animals. Later, as a freed man living in Edinburgh, Edmonstone

in 1830. Afterwards, Anne’s two sisters lived at the hall, helping manage the household and bring up Charles’ son.

That allowed Charles freedom to wander the grounds: planting trees, putting up bird boxes and piling stones for weasels. The ‘squire’ was often mistaken for a tramp by strangers.

Ahead of his time, Waterton understood the importance of nature for mental health. Visitors from West Yorkshire Pauper Lunatic Asylum were encouraged to walk in the grounds and use his telescope for birdwatching.

In 1840 he led a successful campaign to stop the enclosure of common land at nearby Heath village. When a soap-works opened adjoining his property in 1839 he fought to have it closed, recognising the threat to waterfowl. His legal campaigns did not close the factory, but in 1853 it was moved. David Attenborough has described his work as “a demonstration of how the natural world could be protected in the face of a rising tide of industrial pollution.”

In his 80s Waterton was still climbing trees and walking barefoot around Walton Park. Just short of his 83rd birthday, he tripped over a root and received injuries from which he never recovered. CF

“Gerald Durrell said of him, ‘we have always needed eccentrics to point the way’”

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taught taxidermy to Charles Darwin, enabling the naturalist to transport finches from the Galapagos.

A HAVEN FOR NATURE Back in Yorkshire, Waterton built a wall around his estate, to keep nature in and guns out. Completed in 1826, at over three miles long and 16ft high, it was an expensive undertaking.

Hedgehogs were particularly welcome, safe from those who regarded them as vermin, accusing them of sucking milk from recumbent cows. He paid locals sixpence for each hedgehog collected.

He had been married for just a year when his wife Anne died in childbirth

Listen to Sir David Attenborough’s account of Charles Waterton’s life on David Attenborough’s Life Stories, available on the BBC Sounds app and at bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b011vjj0 Debbie Rolls is a travel and nature writer with an interest in history. She has just completed an MA in Travel and Nature Writing at Bath Spa University. www.countryfile.com 62

WILD PEOPLE Naturalist, traveller and pioneering conservationist Charles Waterton (1782–1865) was a climber of trees and cliffs from a young age, and is illustrated here on the hunt for fossils

Image: Alamy

For more on how Britain profited from slavery, watch BBC Two’s Britain’s Forgotten Slave Owners, available on iPlayer bbc.co.uk/iplayer

www.countryfile.com

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MOVE, THINK, EAT Your 2021 wellness plan Feeling cooped up, fed up and out of shape thanks to winter weather and Covid-19 restrictions? We have just the remedy. Follow health coach Lesley Waldron’s simple 10-point plan to help you get outdoors and on the path to health and happiness Illustrations: Andy Lovell

ere we are at the beginning of the year. After a crazy and challenging 2020, we’re wondering where 2021 will lead us.

But whatever has gone before, a shiny new year offers the possibility of a fresh start.

It is tempting to hibernate in the winter, hiding away until the weather improves. But I’d like to suggest an alternative approach, one that harnesses nature and the outdoors, to see you through the winter months and set you up for a healthier spring and summer. Because if 2020 taught us anything, it was that there is real, lasting benefit to getting outside, moving more and looking after our health, for both our mental and physical wellbeing.

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move...

There’s a host of evidence on the benefits of regular exercise in both preventing disease and supporting recovery from illness. But where do you start? It can be easier said than done to get the suggested 30 minutes of exercise, five times a week. Here are some simple suggestions.

1. GET OUTDOORS EVERY DAY Even if it’s for just 10 to 15 minutes, studies show that a walk outdoors can help reduce stress levels, increase your focus and sense of wellbeing. If winter weather puts you off, try to remember that once you’re outside, it’s rarely as bad as it looks. Don’t hesitate – just pull on your waterproof jacket, a comfortable pair of shoes and go! You’ll be glad you made the effort – a walk outside improves energy levels and mood for the rest of the day.

2. BOOST YOUR HEART RATE Getting your heart rate up – and getting out of breath – is an important way to improve the 64

health of your heart and lungs. Your heart-rate boost could come from something as simple as walking briskly up a hill or steps in the park, an invigorating run, or a dance around the kitchen. Anything that gets you feeling puffed out will be working your lungs and your heart.

Vigorous exercise also releases endorphins, and stimulates the production of feel-good hormones in your brain. So, even if you don’t feel good while doing it, you will do afterwards.

If you’re resistant to exercise, considering how you might feel afterwards can be a good motivator. Initially, aim to do this for 30 minutes, two or three times a week, building up to five times a week.

3. BUILD YOUR STRENGTH We often think of strength training as something done in a gym in order to build big muscles, but resistance training can be both more creative and more beneficial than working on a six-pack or big biceps. When we create resistance in our muscles, those muscles pull on our joints and bones and encourage our bones to strengthen – strong muscles mean strong bones. We naturally start to lose muscle mass as we age, so it’s important to keep using our muscles, to both boost our metabolism and help us age well.

If you haven’t exercised much lately, a simple squat or stand-up/sit-down from a park bench will help challenge the big muscle groups in your legs. You could do a weighted lunge with a backpack on your back, a plank on a park bench to work your tummy muscles, a deadlift with a broomstick, or a press-up on a fallen tree in the woods, gradually increasing the number of repetitions you do each week. www.countryfile.com

Watch For more healthy food and fitness tips, watch BBC Two’s Lose Weight and Get Fit with Tom Kerridge, available on iPlayer

www.countryfile.com

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think...

Winter can feel like a gloomy time, but there are ways to take positives from the season to help build our mental and physical resilience. “The cold air arouses my senses and can rouse me from gloom,” writes Emma Mitchell in her book The Wild Remedy, which beautifully describes the healing power of time spent outdoors.

4. GET A DAILY NATURE FIX Time outside in nature is good for your physical and mental health on many levels. Did you know that trees and plants release chemicals and oils (phytonicides) that communicate with our own

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biochemistry to improve our immune systems?

The Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing – time spent slowing down and relaxing in woodlands – has been proven to reduce blood pressure in just 15 minutes.

5. PAY ATTENTION In her book, Emma Mitchell encourages readers to slow down and pay attention to the changes in nature through the seasons. It’s immensely relaxing for the brain and for our screen-trained eyes to slow down and take time to really look at what surrounds you on your daily walks. You can see signs of new life and growth even in the depths of winter, under the leaf litter in the park or woods, or in the buds of leaves on the bare bushes and trees. Notice how the light starts to change even in January and

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WELLBEING DISCOVER

February. If you have the winter blues, this simple strategy can give you hope for the spring and summer and warmer months ahead.

6. OTHER WAYS TO SPEND TIME OUTDOORS If sitting still isn’t really your thing, there are other ways to use your time outside. Consider sketching, painting or taking photos as a way to connect with the natural world. You can make temporary art works with shells or stones on a beach, or fallen leaves and twigs in the woods.

Or perhaps see how many different trees, flowers or birds you can identify, using a guide or an app. Maybe you could give fishing or outdoor yoga a try. Anything that gets you focused on your environment helps you connect with both nature and the present moment.

www.countryfile.com

7. KEEP CONNECTED We all have a need for human connection.

Companionship is so important to our wellbeing – something many of us are all too aware of at the moment. As we look forward to a healthy, happy 2021, a key part will be how to keep connecting, whatever the year throws at us. The outdoors is perfect for that, even in the winter months. Whether a walk, run, swim, a bike ride or even a picnic, including friends and family makes great opportunities to connect and to move more. Find a run buddy, or arrange walking meetings to include more activity in your week. I relished all those opportunities to connect in 2020, and will continue to do so in the year ahead. In the wise words of Brené Brown in her book The Gifts of Imperfection, we are, after all, “wired for human connection”.

eat...

9. EAT WITH THE SEASONS

It seems like every few months we are bombarded with the next big thing in diets. The sometimes mixed messages can be confusing. So what is the most healthy way to eat?

The advice from influential food writer Michael Pollan could scarcely be more simple: “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.” Straightforward thinking like this can really help you achieve lasting wellbeing.

8. MANAGE YOUR MICROBES

Lesley Waldron is a women’s health coach who runs outdoor fitness classes, retreats and experiences and encourages her clients to live well with the seasons. wildcountrywoman.com

A healthy microbiome – which means a good balance of friendly bacteria in the intestine – has a strong link to many aspects of health and wellbeing, and to the immune system. It has been getting a lot of attention in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic, because a healthy microbiome appears to reduce inflammation and produce vital nutrients to support our immune response. Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London and author of The Diet Myth, has simple advice: aim to limit your intake of processed foods with sweeteners and preservatives and instead eat a wide variety of foods, mainly plants – fruits, vegetables, olive oil, nuts and pulses. Eating a rainbow of different coloured fruit and vegetables each day helps you get a broad mix of nutrients and keeps your microbes happy.

Eating fermented foods – such as probiotic yoghurt, kombucha and sauerkraut – will also boost the beneficial bacteria in your gut.

Eating seasonally is good for the planet, your wallet and your health. When you eat foods that are in season and grown locally they won’t have travelled as far and probably won’t have been kept in storage for as long, which means they retain more of their nutrients. A local vegetable box scheme, farmers’ market or farm shop is a good place to start.

The winter months are perfect for making nourishing soups and casseroles with seasonal veg. In season in winter are Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, celeriac, chicory, kale, leeks, parsnips, potatoes, purple sprouting broccoli, salsify, shallots, swede and turnips. I love Anna Jones’ cookbook The Modern Cook’s Year for seasonal recipe inspiration. See if you can find new ways to use a seasonal food every week.

10. BEWARE OF DIETS At this time of year, when many of us are regretting Christmas indulgence, we sometimes feel persuaded by advertising and social media posts about the latest diet fad. But don’t get carried away and think restricting your calorie intake is the only way to recover from Christmas. The best way to make lasting change is to see what you can add to your daily food intake, rather than cutting out everything you love. Increase your vegetable intake, drink more water and eat regular meals rather than snacking. Take a bit of time to plan meals, find new recipes and shop accordingly, so that you don’t get home to an empty fridge and ‘give in’ to processed foods or a takeaway. CF

Photo: @theseasonaltable.co.uk

PURPLE SPROUTING BROCCOLI By Tom @theseasonaltable.co.uk

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Purple sprouting broccoli is packed with micronutrients, vitamins and compounds that make it a worthy holder of the ‘superfood’ title. It’s in season from January to May, helpfully bridging the ‘hungry gap’ between dwindling winter vegetables and the first spring harvests.

The best way to maintain broccoli’s nutritional content during cooking is to use very little water or to make use of any cooking water in the finished dish. We like to steam it until the stems brighten and tenderise but still hold some bite. However, it can also be boiled, roasted or stir-fried (slicing any thick stems first).

There are many wonderful ways to use purple sprouting broccoli in the kitchen. Our favourite combinations are with poached eggs and crispy bacon; soy sauce and crushed garlic; anchovy, chilli, lemon and butter; salsa verde; or tossed with pasta, black olives, Parmesan, olive oil and black pepper.

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ANCIENT WONDERS

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Walking routes

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NEW YEAR

Why not take advantage of this quiet season and treat yourself and a loved one – or even the whole family – to a short break. In often stunning settings with great walks from the door, the UK’s rural cottages, hotels, B&Bs and holiday parks provide a much-needed dose of comfort, relaxation and exploration to suit any budget. What better way to start the new year?

A handy key to help you find accommodation that’s close to...

Walking Routes

The Countryside

HOTELS Ufford Park Woodbridge Hotel, Gold and Spa, Suffolk Ufford Park Woodbridge Hotel, Golf and Spa offers something for all ages. Set in 120 acres of historic parkland and located on the outskirts of Woodbridge, the family-run, dog-friendly hotel boasts 90 spacious bedrooms, many with balconies where you can relax and enjoy beautiful views of the picturesque. Whether you’re a keen golfer, seeking a relaxing spa experience or you’re looking for a family-friendly base to enjoy all that Suffolk has to offer, Ufford Park Hotel really is a hidden treasure. The famous ‘Anglo-Saxon’ burial site at Sutton Hoo, Framlingham and Orford Castle and world-famous Snape Maltings are all just a short drive away, as well as the quaint seaside towns of Southwold and Aldeburgh. Whether you choose to dine in The Park Restaurant or enjoy a snack in The Park Bar, the hotel offers good, quality food made using locally-sourced ingredients.

With everything that is available onsite, as well as offsite, Ufford Park is the perfect place to enjoy a Suffolk staycation.

01394 383 555 uffordpark.co.uk

Beaches

Pet Friendly

Walking routes

The Countryside

Beaches

Pet Friendly

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SELF CATERING Carbis Bay Holidays, St Ives Stay by the Sea in St Ives. Miles of stunning coast line, areas of outstanding natural beauty and world-famous gardens, it’s no wonder Cornwall’s every countryside lovers must see destination. More than just beaches, it’s for those who love to walk, cycle and even explore via horseback, Poldark country. After a day indulging in a healthy outdoor lifestyle return to your luxury holiday home by the sea with Carbis Bay Holidays.

Carbis Bay Holidays offers a collection of stylish self-catering accommodation exclusively in Carbis Bay and St Ives. Specialising in self-catering, with holiday homes ranging from penthouse apartments overlooking the white-sand beaches of St Ives, to designer family coastal escapes a pebble’s throw from the sea.

Your quality is assured as all properties are rated four and five stars by Visit England. The majority are family and pet friendly and a number offer free spa membership to one of St Ives luxurious hotel spas. Relax and rejuvenate in a luxury Cornish beach lifestyle you’ll fall in love with.

All of our holiday cottages are within easy reach of St Ives, an awardwinning destination flaunting a heady mix of beach life, beauty, gastronomic bounty and a world-renowned art scene. Dine in award winning restaurants, don a wetsuit and plunge into the saltwater lifestyle, or simply feel the sand between your toes while you tuck into a traditional Cornish pasty. With easy access to the rest of the county, you’re also on the doorstep of Cornwall’s cultural gems, foodie hotspots, pumping surf and a plethora of pearly beaches.

Carbis Bay is the perfect destination for those that want paradise beach life a pebble’s throw from the heart of St Ives art, culture and foodie hub. With its palm-fringed sandy beach, water sports, oceanside spa and sea view dining options. Carbis Bay self catering is the perfect choice for guests looking for the idyllic spot to dip a toe in the luxury coastal lifestyle.

Explore Cornwall's coast paths at carbisbayholidays.co.uk/st-ives-blog/ five-coastal-walks-near-st-ives. Discover your ideal holiday home on the website.

carbisbayholidays.co.uk

Mylor Harbourside Holidays, Cornwall

With weekly stays starting from £500. We’re waiting to welcome you.

01326 372 121 mylor.com/holidays

©Aerial Cornwall

Tucked away amidst the tree lined creeks of the Fal Estuary you’ll find the hidden gem that is Mylor Yacht Harbour on the Cornish coast close to the historic harbour town of Falmouth. Lovingly recrafted from buildings dating back to the 1800’s, our 8 self-catering holiday cottages are nestled into the heart of a working harbour only a stone’s throw away from the water’s edge. With stylish and spacious interiors and the capacity to sleep from 2 to 8 people, some allowing dogs too, the properties offer you a home by the sea during your stay. With fully fitted kitchens and modern bathrooms ready for you to de-sand, de-salt and destress after a day on the beach. With the sea on your doorstep and direct access to coastal footpaths, Mylor is the perfect base for you to explore what the south Cornwall coast has to offer.

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Walking routes

SELF CATERING The Park, Cornwall The Park, recently a winner of Cornwall Tourism Awards and South West Tourism - Gold for Holiday Park and Village of the year and Gold for David Bellamy award. Just a short stroll from the beach at Mawgan Porth, with a selection of accommodation from luxury lodges, cottages, park cabins, cladded caravans and a fairyland style yurt village. Many of the properties have private out door hot tubs. There are two pools, a sauna and steam room, children’s play areas, an on-site restaurant with soft play area.

No need to leave anyone behind when you stay at The Park, with a number of properties being dog friendly with enclosed gardens, complimentary dog bowls and even a doggie bag full of goodies. They’re free to roam on Mawgan Porth beach year round and there is even a spot in our restaurant where they can make themselves comfortable.

A favourite addition is our enclosed dog walking area and colourful dog showers which are fab after a day out on the beach or a muddy walk.

There’s so much to see and do from walking parts of the stunning south west coast path, visiting castles or sightseeing some of the many iconic attractions such as the Lost Gardens of Heligan, Minack Theatre and Eden.

01637 860 322 theparkcornwall.com

Greenwood Grange, Dorset Greenwood Grange is a collection of beautiful, superior stone-built cottages nestled in a secluded rural hamlet in the Dorset countryside.

We've recently won gold in the Dorset tourism award for Self Catering Accommodation and bronze in the South West Tourism awards.

Greenwood Grange is an excellent base from which to explore this charming county. Thomas Hardy’s birthplace is a five-minute stroll from our cottages. Visitors can also explore our own nature trails, as well as the many nearby Dorset Wildlife Trust nature reserves.

In fact there are well over 4,000 well-signed and waymarked footpaths, bridleways and byways in Dorset. You can look forward to everything from country lanes and rolling hills, to cliff tops and woodland trails.

Dogs are welcome in a number of properties at Greenwood Grange so your four-legged friends can enjoy the walks too. We have our own fully enclosed exercise area, and we're a stone’s throw from Thorncombe Woods, 64 acres of beautiful woodland, where, for most of the year, dogs can exercise off the lead.

Suitably invigorated from your walks you can return to our luxury accommodation, ranging from two bedroom cottages to homes sleeping up to 12 people. Onsite facilities include a private heated indoor swimming pool, manicured grounds and tennis courts.

With outstanding walks, the coast and world class attractions nearby, there is something to suit every visitor.

01305 268 874 greenwoodgrange.co.uk

The Countryside

Beaches

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SELF CATERING The Sherwood Hideaway, Nottinghamshire Part of the historic Thorseby Estate, Sherwood Hideaway offers luxury selfcatering lodge accommodation with a difference, albeit a rather simple combination. A beautiful setting on the edge of an ancient forest, with all the space you need to relax and unwind, combined with stunning holiday accommodation that is finished to the highest of standards. The lodges provide a touch of luxury with their modern décor, appliances (including free wifi), decking and hot tub set up whilst in addition giving you the opportunity to simply ‘hide away’ and be at one with nature. Waking up with Sherwood Forest surrounding you is a real gem! There’s no loud clubhouse here or live entertainment – just beautiful, luxury lodges in a stunning woodland setting. The Sherwood Hideaway is the perfect choice for those seeking a relaxing escape, a place where you can forget all about those daily stresses and strains. With holidays at our park, you’re free to do as much or as little as you wish.

01623 824 594 sherwoodhideaway.com

THE SHERWOOD

HIDEAWAY AT T H O R E S B Y

Ingleby Manor, North Yorkshire Ingleby Manor makes a beautiful and peaceful base for exploring North Yorkshire’s wild moorland, picturesque villages and market towns, stunning coastline, grand houses, ancient abbeys and famous gardens. Please see our web site at www.inglebymanor.co.uk under “Out and About” for comprehensive information. Although hidden away in a secluded valley in the North York Moors National Park, it is accessible from the A1 in about half an hour. The Coast to Coast and Cleveland Way walks and the Tour de Yorkshire cycle challenge pass close by. The majestic Grade II* historic house was built by a courtier of Henry VIII and is surrounded by delightful walled gardens and acres of woodland with trout stream and wild deer. Two spacious, ground floor, completely self-contained apartments in the manor house itself sleep 2 and 4, and the two cottages in the grounds sleep 4 each. All have unspoilt views over the gardens to the moors. Ingleby Manor accommodation has been graded 5* Gold by VisitEngland for Exceptional Quality of Accommodation and Customer Service, and you can be sure of individual.attention and prompt help if needed.

01642 722170 inglebymanor.co.uk

Cat Hole Cottages, Nationwide Cat Hole Cottages offers 24 cottages, from cosy cottages for a romantic break for two, to spacious homes for families or friends. Stone-built, the cottages benefit from luxurious modern amenities and decor, combined with traditional Dales character, either in rural isolation, or just steps away from a welcoming pub.

01748 886 366 | catholecottages.com

Byron Woolacombe Holiday Lets, North Devon Situated just a four-minute walk from Woolacombe beach, Byron boasts a collection of one to three-bedroom stylish apartments. Each includes priority access to Brundle’s Restaurant and the exclusive leisure suite.

01271 871643 | info@bwhlholidays.co.uk

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Walking routes

SELF CATERING

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February

Great days out CROWD -F

Please abide by Government advice on travel. The information on these pages is meant to assist you once restrictions have been lifted.

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COVID-19

LONG DISTANCE WALKS

OS map images: © Crown copyright Ordnance Survey Photo: Getty

Escape the crowds and discover 15 of the UK’s most spectacular multi-day hikes, from adventures through mountains and moors to beginner-friendly rambles along rivers and coasts

The Pennine Way was dreamed up by activist Tom Stephenson, who imagined that the route would be “a faint line on the Ordnance Maps, which the feet of grateful pilgrims would, with the passing years, engrave on the face of the land” (page 87)

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH

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CONTENTS Your handy guide to this month’s Great Days Out

WALK: Wainwright’s Coast to Coast, North England

LAKELAND PEAKS TO YORKSHIRE SHORES

p88

p76 p80

p87

p83 p86

p82

p84

PEAKS AND SHORES Coast to Coast North England, p76

MOUNTAIN MAJESTY Mourne Way County Down, p80

LIFE ON THE EDGE Cotswold Way South West England, p82

WALKING WITH WAVES Ceredigion Coast Path Ceredigion, p83

AROUND THE MOOR Dartmoor Way Devon, p84

STROLL WITH A PRINCE Glynd r’s Way

Long-distance walking is good for mind, body and soul, and far more achievable than many might think, suggests James Forrest as he wanders through the joys of Wainwright’s cross-country walk 30 years after the luminary’s death ne should always have a definite objective, in a walk as in life – it is so much more satisfying to reach a target by personal effort than to wander aimlessly.” So wrote Alfred Wainwright about his Coast to Coast hike, a poetic turn of phrase that captures the magic of long-distance walking.

Journeying across a landscape by foot is a beguiling experience, especially when it involves multiple days.

Not only is the sense of achievement palpable, but the mode of travel – slow, purposeful and intimate – creates a deep connection between people, place and nature. The daily exercise floods your body with happiness-inducing endorphins and, for many, the simple process of putting one foot in front of the other

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can be extremely therapeutic.

Everyday anxieties float away, your mood is restored, and a renewed sense of energy and vitality kicks in.

You don’t have to be ultra-fit to take on a long-distance walk.

By splitting up the journey into bite-sized daily chunks – with stopovers at cosy B&Bs – what initially seems like a scarily long walk can easily become an achievable undertaking. Good preparation, a few essential items of gear and a little training are all you need to be ready for life on the open trail.

ADVENTURE WITH ALFRED The UK is blessed with myriad long-distance trails – the Long Distance Walkers Association lists more than 1,600 routes, but only a few rise above the din to achieve cult status.

One such trail is Alfred Wainwright’s Coast to Coast.

The much-celebrated writer is

perhaps best-known for his seven guidebooks describing 214 fells in the Lake District, but his long-distance route across northern England is a close second in the hearts of British ramblers.

The trail traverses the width of England, from St Bees Head in the west to Robin Hood’s Bay in the east. Hikers begin the 182-mile walk on the shores of the Irish Sea and, two weeks later, having walked across the Lake District, Pennines, Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors, arrive at the North Sea. The countryside covered is “beautiful almost everywhere, yet extremely varied in character, with mountains and hills, valleys and rivers, heather moors and sea cliffs combining in a pageant of colourful scenery,” as Wainwright put it.

For sheer diversity and drama, this walk is perhaps unrivalled by any other in the UK.

Mid Wales, p86

GRANDADDY OF ALL TRAILS Pennine Way North England, p87

BONNY LANDS Cape Wrath Trail North West Scotland, p88

LONG DISTANCE WALKS FOR BEGINNERS Top seven Nationwide, p90

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COAST TO COAST AT A GLANCE Distance: 182 miles/293km Total ascent: 8,601m Max height: 775m Duration: 12–21 days Difficulty: challenging ABOVE The path leaves Rosthwaite for Lakeland’s Central Fells

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GREAT DAYS OUT Writer James considers his next few days on the trail as he looks south-east from Calf Crag in Cumbria towards the Helm Crag ridge and Grasmere

Photos: James Forrest

CHOOSING YOUR SEASON So, when is the best time to walk Wainwright’s Coast to Coast? Go in spring or summer for longer days, less rain (hopefully) and a marvellous wildlife spectacle on day one of your hike. From St Bees Head you’ll spot thousands of guillemots on their cliff-side breeding ledges and a 100-strong cormorant colony, as well as kittiwakes, razorbills and fulmars. Autumn will be quieter and more colourful, while winter – when weather can be harsh – is best avoided.

This year is also a poignant time to set foot on the Coast to Coast trail, as it marks 30 years since Wainwright’s death, in January 1991. If you’re feeling intrepid, take on the whole 182-mile pilgrimage; or, if time is scarce, simply walk a stage or

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two. My favourite leg is the delightful Rosthwaite to Grasmere section. Crossing the Central Fells in the Lake District, this stage includes more than 700m of ascent.

Beyond a gate, bear right and head south, then southeast, following a wall running parallel to the beck. Wainwright called this Stonethwaite section “a walk in heaven” – the wobbly drystone walls, craggy peaks and babbling brook really are a Lakeland idyll.

Go through a series of gates, cross Willygrass Gill and continue south-east along the beck.

Pass Galleny Force and arrive at Smithymire Island.

“ LONG WALKS CREATE

A DEEP CONNECTION BETWEEN PEOPLE, PLACE AND NATURE” 1

A WALK IN HEAVEN

From the National Trust car park in Rosthwaite, head north-east to the main road.

Turn left and then right to cross the bridge over Stonethwaite Beck. Turn right and head south on a good path that veers south-east.

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DALE VIEWS

Ignore the turn-off to the right and instead climb gently south-east. Go through a gap in a wall, pass a sheepfold and

HOW TO PREPARE FOR YOUR LONG DISTANCE ADVENTURE GET ACTIVE In the month before your walk improve your fitness by climbing local hills.

BE REALISTIC Keep daily mileage within your capabilities.

STAY DRY Quality waterproofs will keep you dry and warm on rainy days.

GET ORGANISED Book your accommodation (hotel, campsite, B&B) in advance.

GO MINIMALIST Pack light or book bag transfers.

TREAT YOURSELF A pub meal or fancy hotel will boost your morale.

KNOW THE ROUTE Carry paper maps or a GPS device.

INVEST IN KIT Sturdy boots and a supportive backpack are essential.

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ABOVE James climbs The Howitzer on the summit of Helm Crag, a feat Wainwright never achieved. The 405m fell is one of many high points on Wainwright’s Coast to Coast walk, a journey that includes more than 8,600m of ascent – that’s like climbing Ben Nevis, sea to summit, six times continue following Greenup Gill. Go through a gate, pass a waterfall and continue southsouth-east to emerge at flatter terrain. Savour the views behind you of the Borrowdale valley, where the woodland, grey cliffs, emerald pastures and white cottages “blend in perfect harmony,” as Wainwright noted.

Head up a spur to the base of Lining Crag. Climb to the left of the cliffs and veer right to emerge above Lining Crag.

Continue south-south-east and then south over flatter, boggy ground, where the trod becomes indistinct, to arrive at Greenup Edge.

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Carrs and bear south-east along the ridge to the cairn on the summit of Gibson Knott.

Drop south-east on a good trod, sticking to the right of the crest, then descend to Bracken Hause. Ahead, climb steeply to arrive at The Howitzer, a slanting slab of bare rock that marks Helm Crag’s summit.

Scramble up it if you dare, taking extreme care as the drops are precipitous.

Unnerved by the exposure, Wainwright himself never made it up The Howitzer, so don’t feel guilty if you too give it a miss.

“ THE CRAGGY PEAKS

AND BABBLING BROOKS ARE A LAKELAND IDYLL” Veering slightly right, ascend easily to the rocky summit of Calf Crag.

GILL TO CRAG

Descend gently east on a stone-pitched path. Cross Flour Gill and drop down into a boggy plateau to the east of the

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Birks crags, crossing a number of other small streams. Climb briefly south-east to reach a line of old metal fenceposts and a cairn. Head north-east on a path skirting to the south of the tarn at Brownrigg Moss.

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ROCKY RIDGELINE

Descend north-east and then south-east over undulating terrain. Skirt east above Pike of

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LION AND THE LAMB

Continue south-east to the rocky excrescence known as

The Lion and The Lamb (from the valley the outcrop resembles said animals), before descending the nose of the ridge south-east, then south.

The views over Grasmere lake are quite breathtaking.

Loop sharply west and then south around White Crag.

Continue descending east and then south to emerge at the road next to cottages. Turn left and take Easedale Road south-east all the way into Grasmere. This lovely village, which Wainwright described as “endowed with sylvan grace and dignity”, is perfect for a post-hike coffee and flapjack, or an overnight stay in a comfy B&B. James Forrest is an outdoors writer with a penchant for peakbagging challenges.

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GREAT DAYS OUT

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

THE ROUTE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

How to use OS Maps on your device

8.2 MILES 13.2KM 6 7 HOURS CHALLENGING

1 OS Maps gives unlimited access to OS maps throughout Great Britain.

Discover hundreds of thousands of ready-made routes at your fingertips.

2

No signal? No problem.

Download maps and routes and use them wherever you go.

Visualise your routes in full 3D, and print out as required.

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Use the AR Viewer to pan across the landscape and rediscover your view.

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Get access to the whole of Britain for only £23.95 for a 12-month subscription.

5 HOW TO GET STARTED 1. To access BBC Countryfile Magazine routes, download a QR code reader app on to your phone.

SCAN HERE to access this route on your mobile device

THREE MORE SPECTACULAR SECTIONS OF WAINWRIGHT’S COAST TO COAST

Photos: Getty, Alamy

2. Hold the phone above the QR code beside the map.

ENNERDALE BRIDGE TO ROSTHWAITE

KIRKBY STEPHEN TO KELD

GROSMONT TO ROBIN HOOD’S BAY

A lakeshore, valley and fell walk through more superlative Lake District scenery (14 miles/22.5km).

A journey from Cumbria to the charming Yorkshire Dales via the historic Nine Standards Rigg summit (12.8 miles/20.5km).

The triumphant final leg, concluding as you dip your toes into the North Sea at Robin Hood’s Bay (15.5 miles/25km).

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3. The map will appear on your device, and off you go!

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WALK: Mourne Way, County Down

MOURNE’S MAJESTY This signed two-day hike through lush woodland, water-filled valleys and tor-topped mountains is a great place to start exploring Northern Ireland’s many accessible trails, says Helen Fairbairn 1

Distance: 23 miles/37km Total ascent: 1,050m Max height: 503m Duration: 2 days Difficulty: moderate ounded in the 1970s by Wilfred Capper, the Ulster Way walking route circled all six counties of Northern Ireland. At 665 miles long, the original route proved awkward to maintain, but the best parts have now been re-packaged into 15 ‘quality sections’, or Waymarked Ways.

Together these provide signed walking routes across many of the best landscapes in the province. If you’d like a taster, the Mourne Way in County Down takes two days to complete and is a great place to start. Like all the routes, the trail is linear, fully signed and predominantly off-road.

The hike starts in Newcastle and finishes in Rostrevor, linking these coastal towns via the north-western foothills of the Mourne Mountains.

A combination of woodland trails and mountain paths leads across a succession of wild valleys, reaching a 500m highpoint at the summit of Butter Mountain.

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NIGHT IN THE HILLS

The day finishes at Spelga Pass, beside Spelga Reservoir.

Three miles of road now separate you from the closest village of Hilltown. The best advice is to book a local B&B and arrange for collection and drop-off at Spelga Pass.

The Downshire Arms in the village centre offers food, fire and six cosy apartments to choose from.

PAST THE PEAKS

As you emerge from the trees, the peaks of the high Mournes rear ahead. After a jaunt along the Trassey Track – a former smugglers’ path – you climb around the base of Slieve Meelmore and Slieve Meelbeg.

At Fofanny Reservoir there is a choice of routes: an easy road section or an unmarked crossing of Butter Mountain, whose open summit provides fantastic views over the entire Mourne range.

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ROCKY RIVER VALLEY

Day two (11 miles, five to six-anda-half hours) begins along more mountain paths. A stream near the start is actually the nascent River Bann, the longest river in Northern Ireland. Skirt the tor-capped Hen Mountain, then climb through Rocky River Valley and pass over a 330m-high col between Rocky Mountain and Tornamrock.

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FOREST DESCENT

You now begin a gradual descent south-west towards Rostrevor. Part-way along the valley you enter the pines of Rostrevor Forest. Where the foliage allows, there are good views ahead over the coastal inlet of Carlingford Lough.

The Cooley Mountains, on the far side of the lough, lie in the Republic of Ireland.

The route’s official end point is Kilbroney Park, a short walk from Rostrevor town centre.

A range of accommodation options, pubs and restaurants offer plenty of opportunity to celebrate your achievement, and perhaps consider your next adventure on the Ulster Way.

Helen Fairbairn is an outdoors guidebook author based in Ireland.

THE ROUTE 23 MILES 37KM 2 DAYS MODERATE

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SCAN HERE to access this route on your mobile device

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Photos: Alamy, OpenStreetMap/OpenTopoMap

MOURNE WAY AT A GLANCE

SHIP MAKER’S WOOD

Day one (12 miles, five to seven hours) begins by leaving the seafront promenade in Newcastle and heading inland towards Tollymore Forest Park.

This beautiful woodland has rushing rivers and waterfalls, and once contributed oak wood to the ill-fated Titanic.

GREAT DAYS OUT

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Formed 50 million years ago, the Mournes are young compared to most of the UK’s mountains; Carlingford Lough forms part of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland; look for giant redwoods and Monterey pines in Tollymore Forest Park

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WALK: Cotswold Way, South West England

LIFE ON THE EDGE Rising and falling along the Cotswold escarpment from one quaint town to the next, this classic long-distance trail is ideal for first-timers. Anthony Burton walks you through his favourite section “I put forward the idea of a footpath route following the Cotswold escarpment,” wrote rambler Tony Drake in 1973, 34 years before the Way was officially inaugurated as a National Trail

COTSWOLD WAY AT A GLANCE Distance: 102 miles/164km Total ascent: 4,533m Max height: 310m Duration: 6–10 days Difficulty: moderate

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SEVERN VIEWS

The walk starts by the former woollen mill at King’s Stanley and, after heading a short way up the road, turns left on to a grassy footpath that skirts the hamlet of Middleyard. Beyond is the start of a steep climb to the top of the escarpment, with ever-widening views.

The way now takes a broad path through woodland dominated by beech trees.

It winds along the edge of the hill, with occasional views down to the Severn Valley, before eventually emerging on to open grassland. Here is the Neolithic burial site of

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Nympsfield Long Barrow, then, one of the high points of the walk, Coaley Peak, where views reach out across the Severn to the hills of Wales.

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QUARRIES AND FORTS

The path drops down the side of the hill slightly to a very

different section of the walk that runs past old quarries overhung with creepers. It’s a bit of a roller-coaster, as the footpath alternates between dips and climbs before eventually reaching the imposing ramparts of Uley Bury Iron Age hillfort.

THE ROUTE 1

7.2 MILES 11.6KM 4 HOURS MODERATE

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SCAN HERE

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to access this route on your mobile device

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

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VALLEY TOWN

A broad track descends into the valley to meet a sunken lane with massive tree roots emerging from the banks.

After reaching the valley floor, the next objective is clear: the shapely hill of Cam Long Down (pictured above). There is a steep climb to the top, but you’re rewarded with comfortable walking over grassland and panoramic views. Before reaching the end of the hill, a track leads back down to the valley.

The path now cuts through grazing fields then follows a stream, eventually arriving at the road. The way turns left towards Dursley and the market square in the centre of town, with its splendid church and 18th-century market hall.

Anthony Burton is a freelance writer and the author of a number of walking guides.

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Photo: Alamy

he Cotswold Way is a 102-mile trail that follows the line of the Cotswold escarpment, from Chipping Campden all the way to Bath. The 7.2–mile section from King’s Stanley to Dursley offers a sense of the scenery met along the walk: open hilltops with vast views, aged woodlands and ancient sites.

WALK: Ceredigion Coast Path, Ceredigion

WALKING WITH WAVES If it’s maritime marvels you’re after, few stretches of the British coastline can match that of west Wales, where sea-cliffs and sandy bays consort with fishing villages and wild estuaries, says Julie Brominicks At the northern end of the trail, the path climbs to Borth War Memorial – reconstructed in 1984 following damage from a lightning strike

CEREDIGION COAST PATH AT A GLANCE Distance: 60 miles/96km Total ascent: 3,251m Max height: 156m Duration: 5–8 days Difficulty: challenging eneath contorted black cliffs with pie-crust overhangs, grey-green waves lap on to an orange sandy cove, leaving lakes of white surf in their wake.

In some ways, Llangrannog, with its huddle of houses built into steep inclines, its glossy wooded valley hinterland of ferns and labyrinthine lanes bottlenecked by traffic in summer, is a typical Ceredigion coastal settlement. In other ways, it has a character all of its own, developed around the sixth-century church founded

by St Crannog, who pitched up in a boat. Wedged far enough up the valley, the church was saved from Viking attacks.

The 60-mile Ceredigion Coast Path, between Aberteifi (Cardigan) and Ynyslas, borders this once seafaring coast. Ships were built in the tiniest settlements, even Llangrannog. Aberteifi was a busier port than Liverpool, lead was exported from

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THROUGH THE SEASONS Llangrannog and the rolling footpath north to Cei Newydd (New Quay) is a fine section of the coast path. You will pass Ynys Lochtyn, a grassy peninsula shot through with quartz, whose slopes are mantled with squill in spring.

Swans sometimes shelter in its northern lea and porpoises feed off the tip – but today it is

bottlenose dolphins that are turning like wheels in the water.

The path undulates along the pony-grazed coast, incised by fissures where gulls ride chimneys of wind.

In summer, the hillside is lovely with scabious and foxgloves, while in autumn it is a heaving ocean of bronzing bracken and somersaulting, ‘cheeowing’ choughs overhead.

You will perhaps see Atlantic grey seals hauled up in the stony coves of Cwm Tydu, Cwm Silio and Cwm Soden, where the rock strata are extraordinarily

squeezed and squashed into grimaces and smiles, before arriving into Cei Newydd.

Cei Newydd was once a ship-building town like the rest, with a rope-walk, navigation schools, sailmakers and shipwrights. With its eateries and regular buses, it’s a jaunty place to finish, despite sadly no longer being inhabited by captains of the last square-riggers.

Julie Brominicks is a Snowdonia-based landscape writer and walker.

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Photo: Alamy

Aberystwyth and limestone was brought into harbours, or dumped offshore and hauled inland at low tide to sweeten the Ceredigion soil.

The old packhorse bridge in Hisley Woods was once used to link farms in Manaton with those in Lustleigh

WALK: Dartmoor Way, Devon

RAMBLE AROUND THE MOOR A trail extension, new waymarking, improved access and the creation of poor-weather routes makes the revamped Dartmoor Way a must for long-distance enthusiasts. Fi Darby walks a section to find out more

T DARTMOOR WAY AT A GLANCE Distance: 108 miles/173km Total ascent: 4,561m Max height: 424m Duration: 7–12 days Difficulty: moderate

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sections, each between eight and 13 miles.

With poor-visibility alternatives for moorland sections and plenty of access to local cafés and pubs, the trail can be enjoyed at any time of year. Stroll through quintessential Dartmoor villages such as North Bovey in winter; discover early snowdrops at Parke and late-spring bluebells in Houndtor Wood; take in the optional High Moor Link to hear summer skylarks, and relish autumn changes alongside the wooded River Walkham.

The 10-mile, anticlockwise section from Bovey Tracey

to Moretonhampstead is especially beautiful and an ideal taster for anyone considering walking the whole route.

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RIVER AND RAIL

Leave the car park at Bovey Tracey and cross the road.

Follow the River Bovey through Mill Marsh Park, then pass under the A382 and on to the disused railway. Follow the railway until you meet the lane.

Enjoy the flat track, the trees and the sound of the river below you.

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OLD LANES

After just over a mile, leave the railway line through the gate

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Photos: Fi Darby, Alamy

aking in 108 miles of ancient drove roads, wooded valleys and some of Dartmoor’s most beautiful towns and villages, the newly waymarked Dartmoor Way is one of the UK’s more achievable long-distance walking routes. For those used to high moorland walking, this circumnavigation of the national park is a completely different way to experience Dartmoor life.

The Dartmoor Way can be hiked in either direction or as a figure of eight utilising the additional High Moor Link.

It has been split into 10 main

GREAT DAYS OUT

and continue in the same direction up the lane. At the ‘give way’ sign, turn left and follow the lane downhill to Drakeford Bridge. Turn right into Pullabrook Wood then follow the higher path until you come to a gate and lane – this is the old Manaton road.

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TO THE INN

Turn right and follow the lane through Houndtor Wood for one mile. Halfway down, take a quick diversion through the gate to admire the beautiful Hisley Bridge. Crossing Becka Brook, go through the gate and start the steep climb towards Manaton. Join the lane as the track levels out and continue for 500m.

At the fork, go right to continue or veer left for an optional detour to the delightful Kestor Inn. To avoid the next section, which includes a steep downhill path, take the lanes to Manaton then Neadon.

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PLANTATION PATH

Follow the lane then the bridleway past the thatched cottage. At the junction, turn left into the woods, passing a wood store on your right.

Continue through Letchole Plantation for half a mile.

At Horsham, pass through the metal gates and turn left at the cottage. Follow the footpath round and into Neadon Cleave. Continue steeply downhill through the woods, then on to the lane to Neadon (just over a mile).

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STONE LADY

Turn right through the tiny hamlet of Neadon. Look out for the historic Neadon Upper Hall and a reclining stone lady. At the junction turn right again. Don’t miss the left turn at Barnecourt.

Follow the lane into North Bovey, stopping to admire the

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TOP LEFT New waymarkers were installed along the route in 2020 RIGHT Moretonhampstead in summer BOTTOM LEFT Horses ford the River Bovey at North Bovey – the waterway then meanders towards Bovey Tracey stepping stones and ford just before you reach the village.

A refreshment opportunity awaits here at the thatched Ring of Bells pub.

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THE ROUTE

SCAN HERE

10.4 MILES 16.7KM 7 8 HOURS MODERATE CHALLENGING

to access this route on your mobile device

DOWN TO TOWN

As you leave North Bovey, turn right up the hill. At the rock take the left fork and continue until you reach a stile into a field on the right. Follow the Dartmoor Way signs across the field system. You will soon see Moretonhampstead ahead of you. Keep an eye out for markers as you head past the stables, down the hill and on to the track at Wadley Brook. Continue into Moretonhampstead, turning right on to the B3212 – take care on this busier road.

Fi Darby is a Devon author, blogger and OS Outdoors Champion.

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Machynlleth and the surrounding hills mark the most westerly point of the waymarked Glynd r’s Way

WALK: Glynd r’s Way, Mid Wales

PASSAGE WITH A WELSH PRINCE Trace a National Trail through the loveliest tracts of Mid Wales, created to celebrate one of this land’s greatest heroes, says Paul Bloomfield

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But in the wild beauty of the scenery – the heather-purpled moorland, glassy lakes, wind-scoured crags and sylvan valleys – his spirit is palpable. Some say he never died, but remains in a cave hereabouts, one day to emerge and liberate his homeland from the English.

QUIET LANDS

GLYND R’S WAY AT A GLANCE Distance: 135 miles/217km Total ascent: 7,202m Max height: 504m Duration: 9–14 days Difficulty: challenging

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Glynd r’s Way was created to celebrate the 600th anniversary of his ill-fated revolt against Henry IV’s forces, launched on 16 September 1400, when he was also proclaimed Prince of Wales – the last native Welshman to hold the title. This 135-mile National Trail meanders from Knighton to Welshpool via some of the prettiest parts of Mid Wales, passing sessile oak stands, upland heath and emerald farmland, visiting

comely villages, Roman fortlets, ancient lead mines and cheerful market towns.

In spring you will amble greenways lined with nodding daffodils and woods carpeted in bluebells; in summer, you will be serenaded by skylarks, perhaps even spot a hen harrier soaring above. What you won’t meet are crowds: overshadowed by Snowdonia to the north and bigger name Welsh trails, Glynd r’s Way is delightfully peaceful.

MOOR, GORGE AND ALE The 15-mile leg between Dylife and Machynlleth offers a lovely snapshot of the route’s attractions. First, cross high moorland where you might spy circling red kites and, to the south, the five peaks of Pumlumon, where Glynd r won his first great victory in 1401.

Beyond, skirt pine-clad Clywedog Gorge and veer north to the raw bulk of the area’s tallest peak, Foel Fadian.

Passing a solitary cascade and tumbledown pit buildings, cross boggy moor to the lake of Glaslyn, its mirror sheen wrinkled by paddling wildfowl.

The path then cuts between a vertiginous bluff and Foel Fadian’s scree slopes, dropping towards emerald fields. From here it is a sharply undulating but blissfully rural section to Machynlleth, an artsy little town where the engaging Owain Glynd r Centre, on the site of his 1404 parliament, recounts his story. Nearby Caffi Alys is the spot for a snack and local Glynd r Ale. Paul Bloomfield is a travel and heritage writer, happiest when outside and on the trail.

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Photo: Alamy

wain Glynd r is a tantalisingly elusive figure on his namesake trail. The presence of the nearmythical 15th-century Welsh leader is frequently sensed yet forever just out of sight; behind the trees, around the next bend, beyond the ridge.

GREAT DAYS OUT

WALK: Pennine Way, North England

GRANDADDY OF ALL TRAILS Roly Smith remembers the special day he walked with the founder of England’s first National Trail

PENNINE WAY AT A GLANCE Distance: 268 miles/431km Total ascent: 11,170m Max height: 893m Duration: 16–20 days Difficulty: challenging

t was a day I’ll never forget. I was walking up Edale towards the cragrimmed summit of Kinder Scout with Tom Stephenson, creator of the Pennine Way, the grandaddy of Britain’s National Trails.

Stephenson’s “long green trail” from the Peak to the

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Cheviots celebrates its 55th birthday in April. Back in 1976, I felt immensely privileged to walk the first of its 268 miles with my hero and the man who came up with the idea.

In that warm Lancashire burr and with impish glee, Stephenson recounted the battles he fought with resolute landowners to create Britain’s first long-distance path.

“But when I see young people enjoying themselves on the Way, it makes it all seem worthwhile,” he smiled.

The Pennine Way remains the ultimate challenge for the long-distance walker. Most prefer to do it in sections these days (as did Stephenson and the author of its most popular guidebook, Alfred Wainwright).

Spring or autumn are probably the best seasons for wayfarers,

and you’re likely to encounter a wealth of wildlife along the route – from the ubiquitous red grouse of the gritstone moors to the bobbing dipper of the many streams and rivers that flow off England’s backbone.

PENNINE CANYON My favourite day is the 13 miles from High Force to High Cup Nick, ‘the Grand Canyon of the Pennines’. As you leave the falls, where the peat-stained Tees leaps 70 feet over a dark crag of volcanic Whin Sill, the path passes through a jungle of junipers into Upper Teesdale.

In early summer, Ice Age relics such as bird’s eye primrose and electric-blue spring gentians sprinkle the pastures.

The crags of Falcon Clints then lead on to the foaming Cauldron Snout, thought to be

England’s longest waterfall at 183 metres. Crossing the infant Tees, you follow Maize Beck towards perhaps the greatest spectacle of the entire Pennine Way, High Cup Nick. Nothing quite prepares you for the jawdropping moment when you find yourself teetering on the edge of a yawning abyss.

As the ever-pragmatic Wainwright pointed out, it is slightly galling to note that, as you enter the charming village of Dufton, your long-term objective of Kirk Yetholm is actually further away at the end of this glorious day than it was at the beginning. Thanks Alfred, but it was worth it.

Roly Smith has written more than 90 books about walking and the countryside.

Photo: Getty

The result of glacial action, the vast amphitheatre of High Cup Nick drops away beneath your feet, with the tiny silver thread of High Cup Gill winding hundreds of feet below

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WALK: Cape Wrath Trail, North West Scotland

BONNY LANDS Cape Wrath is closer to the Arctic Circle than it is to

After a night of fire and fables at Barrisdale’s beachside bothy (squint and you may be able to see it, bottom right, among the trees), take the path north beside the tidal sands of Camas Liathach, then east along the loch’s rugged shores to Kinloch Hourn

London – no wonder, then, that it is the finale to one of Britain’s wildest walks, says Daniel Graham

CAPE WRATH TRAIL AT A GLANCE Distance: 230 miles/370km Total ascent: 11,000m Max height: 720m Duration: 14–20 days Difficulty: challenging he Atlantic winds beating the rockarmoured door of Cape Wrath are fierce. They push and pull in the same brackish breath, seize energy and hound eardrums, blow tears from eyes. Rain falls, snatched by the squall and tossed like sand against frigid cheeks.

The roar and adrenaline of it is difficult to suppress, until a rock pipit flits by, peeping “what storm?” as it settles with impossible precision among the coastal scrub.

This is Cape Wrath, a land of ferocious drama and quiet beauty. Those wanting to visit the most north-westerly point of mainland Britain could catch the ferry across the Kyle of Durness then journey overland by bus to the peninsula’s eponymous lighthouse. But there is a second and altogether wilder way to reach land’s end.

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MILES OF MOUNTAINS Photo: Alamy

Beginning in Fort William, the 230-mile Cape Wrath Trail takes two to three weeks to complete.

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It is entirely unmarked. In fact, with no official route, it’s not really a trail at all but instead a guideline through the loneliest expanses of the Scottish Highlands, from the remote ridgelines of Knoydart and the great sea lochs of Wester Ross to Assynt’s immense gneiss mountains and Sutherland’s white-sand shores.

A lack of services means walkers need to carry food between resupply points and camping gear in the event that bothies are full. Sections of the way are pathless, so strong navigational skills are essential, while boot-engulfing bogs and river crossings make the notion of dry feet but a distant dream.

BARRISDALE BEAUTY In many ways, the hardships of the walk are a reflection of its splendour, and it is perhaps the most isolated sections that burn the brightest in the hiker’s soul. Case in point are the six miles between Barrisdale Bay and Kinloch Hourn in Knoydart.

When the sun shines, seals can be seen lazing on Loch Hourn’s rocky shores; when it rains, they drop into the water leaving whirlpools in their wake. Streams hang from the mountaintops.

Clouds pulse. Boots tramp. The path slaloms, hugging the water like a driftline before arriving at Kinloch Hourn, where shelter, food and a bed can be sought at the cosy Lochhournhead B&B and Tea Rooms.

Daniel Graham walked the Cape Wrath Trail with his brother several springs ago.

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GREAT DAYS OUT

“ THE TRAIL JOURNEYS FROM

THE REMOTE RIDGELINES OF KNOYDART TO SUTHERLAND’S WHITE SAND SHORES”

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TOP SEVEN LONG DISTANCE WALKS FOR BEGINNERS Ease yourself into the joys of multi-day hiking on one of these inspiring trails, perfect for beginners, says Phoebe Smith

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BERWICKSHIRE COASTAL PATH, SCOTTISH BORDERS

When it comes to seaside trails, England’s South West Coast Path steals the headlines, yet the stretch of coast between Berwick-upon-Tweed and Cocksburnpath packs a proper punch, too, minus the summer crowds.

It’s perfect for a long weekend as its 30 miles can be done easily in three days.

Highlights include pretty fishing villages, sea stacks, old forts, towering cliffs and the chance to spy myriad seabirds. Plus, if walked south to north you’ll end at the trailhead of the Southern Upland Way where 214 more miles of walking await.

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THAMES PATH, SOUTH EAST ENGLAND

When it comes to walking, nothing feels quite as satisfying as following a waterway from source to sea.

The 184-mile Thames Path begins at the headwaters of this famous river in the leafy lanes of the Cotswolds and ends at the Thames Barrier in London, just a few miles from the sea. Getting to the start and end is easy with public transport and there are ample places to stay.

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SNOWDONIA SLATE TRAIL, GWYNEDD

Not only is this 83-miler a walk through prime Welsh mountain country, it’s also an on-foot journey through time, back to when Snowdonia was the epicentre of a thriving slate industry. Beginning at the town of Bangor (easily reached by train), the route loops away from the usual national park honeypots, taking in a host of small villages and narrow-gauge railways.

GREAT GLEN WAY, SCOTLAND

Dissecting the country, from the city of Inverness on the Moray Firth in the north-east to the town of Fort William in the south-west, Scotland’s Great Glen Way follows a near-straight oblique line. This makes it an obvious route for a walk; a proper coast to coast. The best thing is, it’s only 73 miles long and is very easy to follow, taking between four and seven days. Highlights include Loch Ness, 13th-century Inverlochy Castle and the Caledonian Canal’s impressive Neptune’s Staircase.

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Photos: Alamy, Getty

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GREAT DAYS OUT

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WANDERLUST WAY, LINCOLNSHIRE

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ST PATRICK’S WAY, COUNTY ARMAGH

It may be fairly short for a long-distance path being just a 20-mile circuit, but the Wanderlust Way in the Lincolnshire Wolds triumphs in terms of variety.

Beginning in Bradley Woods, the well-marked path leads through comely villages complete with thatched cottages, wizened woods and acres of rolling farmland.

The route can be done in a single big day or divided into two or three loops.

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PEDDARS WAY AND NORFOLK COAST PATH, NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK

For the best of inland and coastal walking in one hit, you can’t do better than this 130-mile National Trail (allow 11 days). The Peddars Way section – a Romanised segment of a prehistoric drove road – combines big skies, Breckland heaths and one of the best-preserved examples of a Cluniac priory in England. The Coast Path offers sweeping sand dunes, multicoloured sea cliffs, windmills and seaside resorts.

Forget the Camino de Santiago in Spain – for an uncrowded pilgrimage that few have heard of, head to Navan Centre in Armagh to pick up your special Pilgrim Passport. Then begin the 82-mile walking tour of the key sites associated with St Patrick (with lots of food and shelter stops) before ending at his final resting place. There are 10 sites along the way to get your passport stamped; give yourself a week to complete it.

Phoebe Smith is the president of the Long Distance Walkers Association and author of the guide book The Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path (Cicerone, £12.95).

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READER IMAGES

YOUR GREAT DAYS OUT… IN PHOTOS Share your best photos of the British countryside with us and you could see your image published in print or online and win a great prize. Email your images to photos@countryfile.com photo of the month

THE TEMPEST

INDIGO SUNRISE

By: Simon Woodley Where: Roker Pier and Lighthouse, Sunderland “Huge waves battered Roker Lighthouse when Storm Laura hit in late August last year. The enormous waves were frightening to watch.”

By: Dean Beaden Where: Arnside, Cumbria “We enjoyed a superb morning walk on the estuary at Arnside on the stillest of days. I just had to try to capture its serenity and brilliant colour.”

THE PRIZE This month’s winner receives a pair of Ariat Skyline Summit GTX® boots, worth £170. The boots are mesh-lined and made with a waterproof, breathable membrane, plus a shock-absorbing EVA midsole and full-grain leather upper. A dual-density Duratread™ outsole provides extra traction for sure footing on rough terrain. Sizes: women’s 3–8.5; men’s 7–12.

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GREAT DAYS OUT SHEPHERD’S DELIGHT By: Julia Amies-Green Where: Exmoor “This procession of blackfaced sheep cut a perfect line through gorgeous light-dappled heather-clad moorland, creating a great composition for me.”

FAIRY TALE FUNGI By: Sue Jenkinson Where: Ripon, North Yorkshire “I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw this cluster of fly agaric mushrooms on an autumn walk. No fairies appeared though!”

FIELD OF DREAMS By: Sarah Bill Where: Trefnant, Denbighshire, North Wales “This buttery yellow sunset was a stunning contrast to the deep-green corn field.”

OUT TO DRY By: Lucy Coughlan Where: Ramsgate Harbour, Kent “I sat and watched this cormorant for ages – it was so entertaining and magnificent to look at.”

BARN BEAUTY By: Aeron Jones Where: Bala, North Wales “A barn owl has been hunting in the field opposite our cottage in Bala for the past six years. We managed to photograph it taking a break no more than a few metres from the cottage.”

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February

Lazy days BOOKS TV RADIO PODCASTS LETTERS PUZZLES Reviews editors: Margaret Bartlett, Maria Hodson

The sharp bite of cold air on your face can help clear the mind and reinvigorate a sluggish body on a frosty winter’s day

THE SEASON TO RETREAT AND REPAIR A warming and poignant reflection on surviving adversity in the coldest months of the year BOOK WINTERING

Photos: Getty,

BY KATHERINE MAY, EBURY PUBLISHING, £9.99 PB A After the gruelling experience of lockdown, Katherine May’s o ggorgeous reflection on the sseason of darkness, hardship aand ghost stories, out now in paperback, feels incredibly poignant.

But Wintering (the title comes from a Sylvia Plath poem) is much more than a study of a few cold, sunlight-deprived months that many of us find difficult. It’s

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also about how to survive adversity: “Everybody winters at one time or another; some winter over and over again,” she writes.

May is frank about her struggles, including work stress and a “chronic sense of unbelonging”, and mixes memoir with insights gained from the rhythms of nature and from other people’s ways of wintering well. Finns begin their winter prep – foraging, pickling, wood-stacking – back in August. A modern druid explains the benefits of breaking the year into shorter chunks like we once did, with

four solar festivals linked to the solstices and equinoxes, and four pastoral ones in-between, celebrating key moments in our lived experience.

The resulting epiphanies, extolling the virtues of slowing down, quiet evenings in, long winter sleeps, cold-water swims and frosty walks over crunchy ground, can read like a self-help book. As May says: “We who have wintered have learned some things.” Yet the writing is poetic as well as profound, and as warming and curative as a cuddle.

Ben Hoare, author and naturalist

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BOOK THE FRESH AND THE SALT THE STORY OF THE SOLWAY

BY ANN LINGARD, BIRLINN, £25 HB

The western end of the border between England and Scotland is complicated by a vast swathe of river estuaries, salt marshes and tides known as the Solway Firth.

For many, it is a place to forget on their way to landscapes of more orthodox beauty but, as Ann Lingard reveals, it has

BOOK BACK TO NATURE

BY CHRIS PACKHAM AND MEGAN MCCUBBIN, TWO ROADS, £20 HB

This rousing book is pitched as a “last stand for nature” by two celebrity conservationists who concede that their environmental activism may one day see them arrested.

Suggestions of practical ways to protect the environment come thick and fast.

Perhaps we could create a washing-upbowl garden pond, sign a petition or

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life and mood to rival anywhere in the British Isles. She conjures a shifting mudscape of geese and livestock grazing, busy industry and loneliness but with a welcome focus on the tiny creatures that are the essential foundations, not just for the food chain but for the shaping of the landscape. We meet lugworms, diatoms, whelks and winkles but also the mudshrimps (a creature it is impossible not to share the author’s fascination for).

It’s a story of daily erosion and accretion – an ever-shifting landscape with new tales told every day but where the human

role is not disparaged. Lingard treats people not as destructive interlopers – the enemy of nature – but as part of the natural history of the place, and that’s refreshing. But she does not shy away from exploring issues of habitat destruction and wildfowling.

Equally refreshing throughout is Lingard’s scientific knowledge of the area and its multitudinous inhabitants, delivered in riveting prose. This is deep and beautiful natural history writing rather than nature writing.

Fergus Collins, editor

support nature-friendly farming? Over and over, we’re urged to consider the arguments and rethink our positions: “Our wildlife needs you more than ever.”

The nine chapters tackle broad themes such as the connectedness of life, grassroots conservation and reintroducing lost species. Packham has written the lion’s share, in the upfront, chatty style familiar from his brilliant 2016 memoir Fingers in the Sparkle Jar. He is full of wonder at the natural world, and throws in references to everything from punk rock to Audrey Hepburn. Shorter contributions by his

stepdaughter and fellow zoologist McCubbin – the pair now also co-host a YouTube channel – are stuffed with eye-opening science.

Produced at speed during a coronavirus summer, Back to Nature is engaged, resolute and convincing, but maybe inevitably has the feel of a flurry of blog posts. Like the famous “tangled bank” – Charles Darwin’s metaphor for the workings of evolution – things soon get unruly. Yet this could also be the most important book you’ve read in a long time.

Ben Hoare, naturalist and author

Photos: Getty, Alamy

Starlings gather under golden winter skies on the River Esk estuary leading out to the Solway Firth

LAZY DAYS

MUSIC THE LOST WORDS: SPELL SONGS LIVE STREAMED CONCERT 2 FEBRUARY, 8.15PM, NHM.AC.UK SPELL SONGS

Many of us have found joy and solace in the entrancing images and lyrical nature poetry of The Lost Words and The Lost Words: A Spell Book, with words by Robert Macfarlane and artworks by Jackie Morris. Now, you can see and hear the words brought to life in your own home in a free livestreamed concert.

In 2018, Folk by the Oak Festival commissioned eight nature-loving musicians to take Macfarlane’s words and create an album; The Lost Words: Spell Songs was released in 2019. Now, part two is in the making, due for release in June 2021. The music is born out of the same concerns that informed the books: the loss of our natural world and the need for a more compassionate view of the wild.

On 2 February, the Spell Songs Ensemble is staging a special livestreamed performance recorded at London’s Natural History Museum (NHM). Morris – who will be live painting to the music – and Macfarlane will join the musicians for an evening where music, birdsong, river chatter, insect hum, art and poetry combine forces to call for a more environmentally enlightened future.

The concert will raise money for the NHM’s new conservation project – aiming to transform the museum’s outdoor space into a centre for conservation research – and will be performed in Hintze Hall. For virtual VIP access to the experience, donate £10 or more here: nhm.ac.uk/spell-songs

BOOK SEED TO DUST: A GARDENER’S STORY

BY MARC HAMER, VINTAGE PUBLISHING, £14.99 HB

Like the plants that Marc Hamer spends his days working with, this book changes and ebbs with the shifting seasons. As the cold of winter transforms into spring, summer abundance dwindles into autumn, he beautifully captures the periods of rest and work, the times of plenty and those of scarcity, drawing you in to the beauty of each season and savouring what they bring to the plants and his life.

With carefully crafted descriptions, Hamer weaves in such evocative details that you feel like you know every corner of the 12-acre garden he has spent more than two decades tending. You’ll find yourself walking the newly laid path and

RADIO RAMBLINGS BBC RADIO 4, WEEKLY FROM 12 FEBRUARY FOR SEVEN WEEKS, 3PM ON THURSDAYS

Broadcaster Anneka Rice is a selfconfessed obsessive rambler who feels out of sorts if she doesn’t walk every day.

In the first episode of a new series of Ramblings, Anneka leads Clare Balding around her local Thames-side route.

Other walkers sharing their favourite hikes with Clare include anthropologist and broadcaster Mary-Ann Ochota, who

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dangling your fingers in the diminishing pond, marvelling at the dahlias and scything the wildflower meadow alongside him. He also offers a fascinating insight into the conflicted world of being an employed gardener – the plight of designing and working in a space that does not belong to you, and the curious intimacy that this relationship can bring.

Alongside the daily work in the garden, he seamlessly entwines his own story – of childhood as an outsider, a wandering period of homelessness, having his own family and his eventual journey to working with plants and the joy he has found in it.

This is a book for gardeners and garden lovers alike, and one that will leave you wondering what stories lurk behind each and every garden gate.

Steph Wetherell, food and farming writer

explains how to spy hidden archaeological secrets in the landscape. Campaigner Debbie North uses an all-terrain wheelchair to explore the wildness of her beloved Yorkshire Dales. Rick Minter, whose podcast Big Cat Conversations features stories of big cat encounters, walks in Gloucestershire not far from his own (possible) black panther sighting. In Dorset, sculptor Simon Gudgeon explains how nature inspires his work, and in Berkshire, film producer Gareth Ellis-Unwin reveals the inspiration behind a new project: adventurer Lady Hester Stanhope.

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LAZY DAYS

Matt Baker THE COUNTRYFILE PRESENTER GOES BEHIND THE SCENES ON HIS SHOWS AND FAMILY FARM BIRDS GET A WARM WELCOME ON THE FARM We are lucky enough on our farm in Durham to have a lot of different bird species visit us. Some are permanent residents while others pop in for a few months before heading off on their travels again. We’ve worked hard over the years to put in the foundations to attract as many birds and wildlife here as possible and as time goes on, those habitats and food sources are showing they’re working.

The hedgerows we planted years ago are now mature and full of blackberries, rosehips and sloes. They’re also dense enough to make a good spot to build a perfectly protected nest and are teeming with insect life for added protein. The wildflower meadows are a favourite spot for pheasants, quail, lapwings and curlews.

It also helps that my dad spends a small fortune on buying birdseed to fill a huge amount of feeders to help see our feathered friends through the hard winter months. We have blue tits, coal tits,

greenfinch, blackbirds and chaffinches that are all regular visitors.

The treecreepers are quite shy and tend to enjoy sticking to the sheltered edges of the ancient woodland. We’re sometimes lucky enough to see them bobbing up and down the bark of the trees looking for insects and they’ll occasionally venture to the birdfeeders, too. My dad’s favourite at the moment is a little nuthatch who likes to visit. It’s definitely not camera-shy, as it doesn’t seem to mind him taking photos through the kitchen window.

The tree sparrows now have their own ‘street’ of nestboxes on the farm and their numbers have grown enormously year on year.

There’s always a flurry of excitement on the farm when the first swifts and swallows arrive as the weather gets warmer.

Another fair-weather visitor is the redstart and every year there seem to be one or two more appearing, which is great to see. I think the most unusual bird we’ve had visit was a hoopoe. It’s quite rare in the UK and we’ve only seen it once, but we’re hoping for another sighting in the not-too-distant future.

Wildlife has always been a priority on our farm and making sure we provide what we can to help is really important to us. Migratory birds are only with us for a relatively short time; helping them make the most of their time so they can feed or breed goes alongside ensuring our all-year-round birds have what they need. There are fat balls and seedfeeders aplenty to feed whoever’s staying put or passing through. It’s heart-warming to see who visits the ‘24-hour takeaway’ and what they prefer to eat, especially when food is scarce or there are youngsters to feed.

“We’ve worked hard to put in the foundations to attract as many birds as possible”

Photos: Oliver Edwards, Mike Baker

This nuthatch is a regular visitor to the well-stocked birdfeeders on the Baker family farm

Watch Matt on Countryfile, Sunday nights on BBC One.

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Your countryside HAVE YOUR SAY ON RURAL ISSUES Share your views and opinions by writing to us at: Have your say: BBC Countryfile Magazine, Eagle House, Colston Avenue, Bristol BS1 4ST; or email editor@countryfile.com, tweet us @CountryfileMag or via Facebook facebook.com/countryfilemagazine *We reserve the right to edit correspondence

letter of the month

A SENSE OF OWNERSHIP In November’s issue there was an interesting juxtaposition of John Craven’s complaint about litter and Nick Hayes’ excellent article on countryside access. This led me to wonder whether, disagreeing with John Craven, we drop so much litter because we don’t have enough sense of ownership of the land. Perhaps if more areas were easy to enter and people were given more sense of ownership we might take more care of it.

Nearly 20 years ago, I was heavily involved in obtaining the lease of 100 acres of woodland and making it safe and accessible to the public.

Not only are there very few examples of littering there but there is a store of plastic carrier bags at the entrance that people use to keep the place tidy. It is very much “our” woodland. If communities were given access and management of local land perhaps they would have more pride in it and keep it litter-free.

Roger Stevenson, Cwmbran, Torfaen

THANK YOU TO THE TEAM We have subscribed to BBC Countryfile Magazine for some

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MAGICAL SIGHTS AND SOUNDS

During the lockdown I often liked to recall some truly magical moments spent in the countryside. One of these was when, as a family, we were exploring the Norfolk Broads and the surrounding area by boat.

One evening we decided to moor up for the night at a lonely spot on one of the broads, just as the sun was setting. All was quiet with just a gentle lapping of water against the side of our boat. Next to us were empty fields bathed in different colours from the sunset.

Suddenly, in the distance, came the tolling sound of an ancient church bell.

Right on cue, from a corner of the nearest field, came the ghostly shape of a beautiful white barn owl swooping low and sweeping over the fields as it hunted through the night, its feathers glistening in the multicoloured light. This truly magical combination of sight and sound I will never forget. It was a wonderful spine-shivering moment. For this, and many other incredible moments, I am

truly grateful for our countryside. We are all very lucky to be able to be here to enjoy it.

Paul Nott, Lymm, Cheshire Editor Fergus Collins replies: How wonderful – thank you for sharing the experience so beautifully. I had something similar that I recorded on one of our podcasts, though, if you listen to it, I did not keep my composure at all! You can listen here: countryfile.com/podcast/ martindown/

THE PRIZE This star letter wins a portable and lightweight Helinox Chair One, worth £90. Easy to assemble thanks to DAC aluminium alloy technology and with breathable seat fabric for great comfort, The Helinox Chair One comes in a tiny pack size and weighs only 850g. helinox.eu years and when I started I thought it would be for two or three years as has happened with other subscriptions, until you started repeating yourself. But that has never happened.

Each month there is article after article of interest. Not just obvious ones that one might expect, but

national and social history, customs and traditions, recipes, botanical and ornithological facts and always something topical and sometimes contentious. I also always enjoy your regular contributors, my particular favourites being Sara Maitland and Ellie Harrison. And, of course, the

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LAZY DAYS “Calves chewing constant cud” – another day dawns on the farm

A day on the farm Sunrise starting slumber stopping, Cockerels crowing creating chaos, Chickens clucking craving corn, Geese gathering gaily gossiping, Drakes driving dawdling ducklings, Bulls boasting building beef, Cows calling curious calves, Calves chewing constant cud, Sows suckling silently slumbering, Piglets proffering pungent poop, Sheep sulking standing silently, Lambs leaping lush lea, Goats guzzling greens greedily, Horses hankering hidden hay, Tractors toiling trodden terrain, Harvesters handling heaped hay, Farmhands flagging fetching feed, Daylight dimming dusk dawning, Moonlight modelling motionless meadows.

Hazel Bloomfield, Bristol

quiz and crossword that, between us, my husband and I usually crack.

I have learnt that thorough reading of the articles helps!

So thank you editorial team. We shall remain subscribers for the foreseeable future.

Alison Ellis, Monmouth

Photos: Getty, Alamy

ACCESS APPRECIATION I read Nick Hayes’ feature We Need More Access (November issue) with interest. The benefits of being outdoors in nature are too great to allow access to be restricted to a privileged few and I am fully supportive of the campaign to improve public access to nature. While the article lists a number of countries with greater levels of public access compared to England and Wales, I am grateful for the access that we do enjoy along the extensive rights of way network and across existing open access land.

I came to appreciate the access rights that I previously took for granted when walking in other

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countries. For example, in Australia, bushwalking is largely limited to within national parks owned and managed by the state.

The best walking for wildlife spotting I have done was in Namibia, but I was confined to within the fences of the farm that I was staying on each day.

The starting point in many other countries is that there is no access to privately owned land and I recognise how lucky we are to have a long history and culture of some level of public access to improve upon.

Mary Hudson, via email

LISTENING PLEASURE I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to the BBC Countryfile Magazine podcasts/plodcasts over the past couple of months. I am very fortunate that I have continued to work during the pandemic and I’ve loved hearing all your nature stories from across the country as I worked. The podcast has even inspired me to start my own small

podcast, based on wildlife in the Fens and where my passion for wildlife photography first began.

The Fens can often be overlooked as being desolate and devoid of life, but in my opinion it is hardly the case. So far, I have talked about the history of the Fens and what can be found not even a mile from my house. I plan to do outdoor recordings while I am out and about with my camera, so I will be taking a break from releasing more episodes in the next couple of weeks to get as many live encounters recorded as I can.

If you wish to have a listen to my recent episodes, the podcast is called Lens from the Fens, and can be found on Spotify, or here: lensfromthefens.libsyn.com.

Again, I have thoroughly enjoying listening to all of your podcast episodes so far, with my favourite one being the story of Saint Melangell and how she protected the hare and created a haven for all wildlife.

Lydia Pinfold, Cambridgeshire

Listen to our podcast episodes here: countryfile.com/podcast

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Warm winter layers The best base layers for winter walkers, tried and tested Words: Pat Kinsella

BBC Countryfile Magazine favourite

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Lifa Merino Mid-Weight Hoodie, Helly Hansen, £90, hellyhansen.com Norwegian brand Helly Hansen pretty much pioneered the concept of top-quality technical base layers for outdoor use, and the Lifa Merino hoodie is the company’s most highly evolved undergarment to date. Complete with a hood (clue in the name) this is a super hard-wearing and high-performing piece of kit you can wear during any winter outdoor activity, from hillwalking in Scotland to skiing in the Alps, through to sailing oceans and

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mountaineering in the planet’s high ranges. The dual-construction top is made from a half-and-half mix of 225g-merino wool (outer) and Helly Hansen’s proprietary man-made polypropylene yarn, Lifa. Besides its moisture-wicking capability, the material maintains its thermal properties when wet and is supremely comfortable, with flat-lock seams. It’s good-looking too, perfectly wearable as a stand-alone top, and considering the capability and quality of this garment, the price is excellent.

VERDICT 9/10

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LAZY DAYS BEST value

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Thermal Tech Tee Long Sleeve, Berghaus, £50, berghaus.com

Forge Long-Sleeved Tee, Rab, £50, rab.equipment

This stylish base layer is perfect for use on the trail during winter wanders, providing just the right level of thermal protection. It has a half-zip to allow you to cool down when working up a sweat (a non-zip version costs £5 less). It’s nice-looking, and being thick it can be worn as a stand-alone top. Made with a synthetic yarn called ‘Argentium’, which traps and warms air to keep you cosy, the tee doesn’t absorb much moisture and will retain its thermal properties even when wet, so if you do get caught out in a surprise shower, it’s not a disaster. It’s breathable, comfortable and wicks moisture away from the body during active use. VERDICT 9/10

Ideal for winter hill hiking or multi-day use on long-distance trails during the colder months. The 47% merino wool fabric will keep you warm or cool as needed and wick away sweat; the wool’s natural antimicrobial attributes mean you can wear it multiple times without causing a stink. For its part, the polyester yarns also woven into the fabric help the garment stay in shape, and it will absorb next-to-no water even during a drenching, so it will dry quickly and still keep you warm. There are no thumb loops, which is a shame, but the garment offers exceptional next-to-skin comfort levels.

VERDICT 7/10

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Grid Technic, Páramo, £75, paramo-clothing.com The raised grid-pattern design that gives this top its name pulls off an impressive trick: it keeps you warm when required and cools you down when you’re overheating. When combined with a shell layer, these little squares – or rather the gaps between them – trap warm air. But, worn on its own, the fabric lets cool air in, which keeps you cool. It’s made from Parameta G, a polyester material with excellent moisture-wicking properties that will keep you warm even when wet. Design features include a high neck with half-zip, thumb loops (which stop sleeves riding up your arm when donning another layer and keep base layer and gloves in close contact). VERDICT 8/10

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First Layer Long-Sleeved T-Shirt, Craghoppers, £35, craghoppers.com Synthetic fabrics perform brilliantly in winter base layers because they absorb next to no moisture, so maintain their warmth-giving capabilities even when wet and they wick moisture away from the body. These stylish tops are made from polyester yarns repurposed from plastic drink bottles. A solid performer on test, this fairly thick top offers good comfort levels and thermal protection across the wearer’s torso, and does exactly what you want a base layer to do: keep you warm. These tops also come in short-sleeve versions. VERDICT 7/10

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Merino Long-Sleeved Top, Keela, £54.95, keelaoutdoors.com

Zebru Responsive Long-Sleeve Top, Salewa, £80, salewa.com

This smart-looking top from Scottish brand Keela is made mainly from 200gsm merino wool, giving the garment all the attributes I look for in a high-performance base layer. It breathes easily and wicks moisture away from your body well, it keeps you warm when it’s cold outside, cools you down when it’s warm and stays free of body odour. Keela employs a merino mix that promises durability as well as comfort and performance. The design qualities make this top excellent value for its price ce tag, from the flat-lock stitching and the stylish slim fit, high neck and quarter-length zip for ventilation.

All that’s missing is thumb hooks. VERDICT 8/10

This mostly merino base layer is the lightest garment we tested.

Despite its light feel, the Zebru packs a punch. Built to a figurehugging design, it’s made with synthetic yarns containing minerals that, apparently, have the ability to absorb far-infrared radiation from your body and slowly release it back, delivering longer-lasting warmth. Frankly, it’s tricky to determine whether this stacks up, but we can attest that, for its weight and thickness, the Zebru performs well when you’re hillwalking in winter. It lacks a few flourishes, but does have a low hem, which prevents the top shuffling up your back when you’re wearing a pack. VERDICT 8/10

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Omni-Heat 3D Knit Crew II Base Layer Top, Columbia, £70, columbiasportswear.co.uk

Men’s Summit Bamboo Base Layer*, Bam, £49, bambooclothing.co.uk

This space-age undergarment employs Columbia’s Omni-Heat technology to generate serious heat. Soft fibre pods create a tiny gap between shirt and skin, and a metallic lining not only keeps warm air in, it reflects it right back at you. It sounds and looks a bit sci-fi, but it works, and this top is noticeably warmer than others of a similar weight and thickness. It’s also breathable, and has been treated with an antimicrobial substance. The liner is surprisingly comfortable, as the four-way stretch means you can move freely.

It’s cut long and has thumb-holes. VERDICT 8/10

Made from bamboo (68%), organic cotton and elastane, the Summit (above left) is supremely comfy. The thermal qualities are good when dry, and the half-zip helps you cool off when you need to. Bamboo fabrics are breathable with odour-resistant properties.

They are also environmentally friendly, but combined with the cotton will absorb more water if soaked, reducing performance levels. Thumb-holes are included. VERDICT 7/10 *The closest equivalent for women is Bam’s Velocity Base Layer (£49, above right), which is made of a slightly lighter weight fabric.

Read more detailed reviews at countryfile.com/country-kit, including base layers from other leading brands, including Craghoppers, Columbia, Icebreaker and Montane

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Country puzzles RACK YOUR COUNTRYFILE BRAIN WITH THESE WILD AND WONDERFUL GAMES COUNTRYSIDE QUIZ

answers at bottom of page 107

At 346km, the River Thames is the longest river entirely in England, but where is its source?

c) 2,312km d) 3,102km 11. The Macclesfield Erratic is a Cheshire landmark.

What is it? a) A statue of a famous local drunk b) A 30-ton boulder c) A legendary bottomless mere d) A canal-boat lift on the Macclesfield canal 12. Which of these counties does not contain some part of the Cotswolds? a) Oxfordshire b) Warwickshire c) Somerset d) Worcestershire

1. The source of the River Thames is in which county? a) Oxfordshire b) Gloucestershire c) Berkshire d) West Sussex 2. How many Wainwright fells are there in the Lake District? a) 160 b) 88 c) 214 d) 54 3. What is the name of the first National Trail in England? a) Cotswold Way b) Pennine Way c) Offa’s Dyke Path d) Hadrian’s Wall Path 4. Who was the last native Welshman to hold the title

106

Prince of Wales? a) William Talbot b) Owain Glynd r c) Griffith Williams d) Owain Brogyntyn 5. What is squill? a) A species of octopus b) A coastal flower c) Hairs in a squirrel’s tail d) Long tail feathers 6. What is Northern Ireland’s longest river? a) River Bann b) River Erne c) River Lagan d) River Foyle 7. Which migrating bird is pictured? a) Cuckoo b) Swallow c) Redstart d) Wheatear

8. How many species of bird did Charles Waterton (1782–1865) identify on his estate, Walton Hall? a) 98 b) 49 c) 110 d) 123

13. Which English poet was the first to link St Valentine with romantic love? a) William Wordsworth b) Geoffrey Chaucer c) Elizabeth Barret Browning d) Percy Bysshe Shelley

9. Which of these species is not a summer migrant to the UK? a) Hobby b) Wood warbler c) Stonechat d) Ring ouzel

14. Who donated Scafell Pike to the National Trust in 1919? a) Lord Leconfield b) Duke of Norfolk c) Prince of Wales d) Beatrix Potter

10. How long is the South West Coast Path – England’s longest coastal path? a) 1,014km b) 1,917km

15. In the 16th century, where was the world’s first deposit of graphite found? a) Merthyr Tydfil, Wales b) North York Moors c) Sharneyford, Lancashire d) Seathwaite Fell, Borrowdale, Cumbria

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LAZY DAYS

COUNTRYSIDE CROSSWORD

CROSSWORD SOLUTIONS

by Eddie James ACROSS 1 Large, powerful dog with a wrinkly forehead (7) 5/3 down Cheshire’s highest point – is northing faulty? (7,3) 10 Hebridean island connected by causeway to Vatersay (5) 11 Breed of dog that might follow border (7) 12 Back ... part of rare artichokes (4) 14 Neolithic earthwork like Avebury Circle (5) 15 See 29 across 16 Fen Raft ___, or False Widow ___ (6) 18 Neck of land like La Coupée connecting Great and Little Sark (7) 20 Fodder container that goes to a horse’s head! (7) 22 Mortimer ___ near Ludlow has the world’s only long-haired fallow deer herd (6) 23 Pinch off plant’s growing tip to prevent further growth (4) 25 Permission to depart? (5) 26 Canal enclosure for raising/ lowering boats (4) 28 Crataegus tree that bears mayflowers (8) 29/15 Froth secreted by froghopper larvae on plants (6,4) 31 Songbird’s frolic (7) 32 Lakeland mountain – skis endlessly keep breaking (3,4)

This magazine is published by Immediate Media Company Bristol Limited under licence from BBC Worldwide.

ACROSS 6 Mouse 7 Scarecrow 9 St Kilda 10 Gosport 11 Icy 12 Hound 13 Reedy 14 Sickles 16 Pebbles 18 Snowy 19 Spawn 20/12 Sea holly 21 Rollers 23 Butting 25/24 Wayfaring tree 26 Elgar DOWN 1 Turkey 2 Fell 3/13 Ragged robin 4 Jess 5 Arboreal 6 Massifs 7 Statues 8 Withy 15 Crowley 16 Peatbog 17 Staggers 18 Shrew 19 Siskin 20 Sting 22 Eyam

JANUARY DOWN 2 A leisurely walk ... able to go round top of Munro (5) 3 See 5 across 4 A down one is soft and fluffy (7) 6 Time to reap what you’ve sown (7) 7 Fixes a horseshoe? (5) 8 Britain’s only native species of this spring bulb is Lent Lily (9) 9 Another name for the common ragwort – ‘Foul-smelling goat’?

(8,5) 13 Salmon nests on river bed – sound like shades of crimson, scarlet etc. (5)

ADVERTISING AND MARKETING Group advertising manager Laura Jones, 0117 300 8509 Advertising manager Neil Lloyd, 0117 300 8813 Senior sales executive Samantha Wall, 0117 300 8815 Sales executive Stephanie Hall, 0117 300 8535 Classified sales executives Antony Jago, 0117 300 8543 Alex Armstrong, 0117 300 8538 Subscriptions director Jacky Perales-Morris Senior marketing executive Tom Bull Press & PR manager Dominic Lobley and Emma Cooney

17 Another name for the ‘tourist’ route up Ben Nevis – makes party conk out! (4,5) 19 Honeycomb-capped mushroom, edible when cooked (5) 21 Leicestershire village with castle, home of the Dukes of Rutland (7) 22 Charges dishonestly for sheep’s shorn wool? (7) 24 Part of a flower’s corolla (5) 27 Shepherd’s staff (5) 30 Edible mushroom in lettuce patch (3)

LICENSING Director of international licensing and syndication Tim Hudson PRODUCTION Production director Sarah Powell Junior production co-ordinator Sarah Greenhalgh Ad services manager Paul Thornton Ad designer Parvin Sepehr Ad co-ordinator Florence Lott PUBLISHING Publisher Andrew Davies Promotions and partnerships manager Rosa Sherwood Publishing assistant Lara Von Weber Managing director Andy Marshall

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ACROSS 1 Horses 5 Ramshorn 9 Stud 10 Nears 11 Dove 12 Frills 13 Hessian 14 The Rumps 17 Pigsty 18 Fat hen 20 Minsmere 22/4 Slapton Sands 23/15 Isle of Man 26 Moth 27 Erica 28 Efts 30 Owner DOWN 2 Otter 3 Saddler 5 Reaches 6 Masts 7 Hedging 8 Ravenstor 15 Headstone 17 Pen 19 Heather 20 Menhirs 21 Mullein 23 Tweed 24 Imago 25/29 Outer Hebrides.

MANAGEMENT CEO Tom Bureau BBC STUDIOS UK PUBLISHING Chair, Editorial Review Boards Nicholas Brett Managing director, consumer products and licensing Stephen Davies Director, Magazines Mandy Thwaites Compliance manager Cameron McEwan UK publishing co-ordinator Eva Abramik uk.publishing@bbc.com www.bbcstudios.com SUBSCRIPTIONS AND BACK ISSUES Annual subscription rates (inc P&P): UK/BFPO £61.75; Europe and Republic of Ireland £72.50; rest of world £76.50.

Jan–Dec July–Dec2018 2019 44,703 40,226

ANSWERS QUIZ: 1b, 2c, 3b, 4b, 5b, 6a, 7c, 8d, 9c, 10a, 11b, 12c, 13b, 14a, 15d

Photos: Getty

EDITORIAL Editor Fergus Collins Production editors Margaret Bartlett and Maria Hodson Features editor Joe Pontin Art editor Tim Bates Deputy art editor Laura Phillips Picture editor Hilary Clothier Section editor Daniel Graham Group digital editor Carys Matthews Editorial and digital coordinator Megan Shersby

DECEMBER

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107

COUNTRYFILE DIRECTORY UK HOLIDAYS

WATCHES

PERFECT FOR... Walks

Coast

Pets

Wildlife

Inland Waterways

DISCOVER THE COTSWOLDS

To advertise here please contact Antony Jago on

93 Victoria Road, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 1ES PATTARD, NORTH DEVON COAST Do you seek luxury accommodation with many walks from your doorstep? Three Barn conversions sleeping two to eight. Central heating and woodburner. Pets welcome.

Good pubs within 10 mins walk. Now with on site restaurant, Pattard Restaurant.

0117 300 8543

www.pattard.com – 01237 441311 www.pattardrestaurant.co.uk Table reservations 01237 441444

UK HOLIDAYS Welcome to the Cotswold Hare in Cirencester Located just a few minutes’ walk from the centre of this historic market town, we offer a warm welcome, relaxing atmosphere and comfortable bed and breakfast accommodation.

We underwent a complete refurbishment in 2020 and have seven en-suite À Ã Î Ì i }À Õ ` y À®] vv ÃÌÀiiÌ «>À }] Ü Ài iÃà ÌiÀ iÌ > ` à >ÀÌ ÎÓ» y>Ì ÃVÀii Ìi iÛ Ã Ã° Cirencester has a number of lovely restaurants, shops, an outdoor swimming pool in the summer months and a superb museum. It is also the perfect base from which to explore the Cotswolds, towns and villages such as: Bibury, Burford, Bourton on the Water, Stow on the Wold, Upper and Lower Slaughter and Cheltenham.

NARROWBOAT

HOLIDAYS Cruise the Monmouth and Brecon Canal, through g the Brecon Beacons National Park.

www.bandbcirencester.co.uk

BATH & WEST COUNTRY WALKS Guided and self-guided walking holidays for groups and individuals. Walking in the Cotswolds, Exmoor, Somerset and Wiltshire. Also Austria and Cyprus in the Spring and Winter. No Single Supplement.

Tel: 01761 233807

07921 122255 | 01285 654179 | info@bandbcirencester.co.uk

01873 830001 www.castlenarrowboats.co.uk

DISCOVER THE COTSWOLDS

www.bathwestwalks.com E: info@bathwestwalks.com

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE // 2021 HOLIDAY INSPIRATIONS

2021 HOLIDAY

INSPIRATIONS Showcasing inspirational places to visit in the year ahead

YORKSHIRE

1. THE JUDGE’S LODGING Judge’s Lodging in central York was renovated in early 2020, transforming its interiors to match the building’s historic features, prime location and 5-star status. This Georgian Townhouse, which dates back to 1710, has upgraded bedrooms and dining areas with bespoke furniture and luxury lu uxury tou touches. uches W Within ithiin the hotel’s rrestaurant, est expert chefs craft authentic Yorkshire-inspired dishes with locally sourced ingredients.

When the sun comes out, guests can enjoy real ale or chilled wine on the terrace, a haven from the hustle and bustle of wonderful York.

8

relax@judgeslodgingyork.co.uk | 01904 638733

7

CUMBRIA

2. THE CROWN INN, POOLEY BRIDGE

2

A stone’s throw from the stunning Ullswater lake, the village of Pooley Bridge is the perfect Lake District escape. The Crown Inn occupies an enviable position right on the banks of River Eamont and is surrounded by nature. With its low wooden beams, plump armchairs and roaring log fires, every aspect of the inn is inspired by its scenic surroundings. After a hearty dinner, sample the inn’s cask ales under a wool blanket on the rooftop terrace before heading to cosy bedrooms for a peaceful night’s sleep.

1 3

4

12 6

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Relax@Crowninnpooleybridge.co.uk | 01768 425869

4. LANDAL DARWIN FOREST

The leafy East Yorkshire market town of Beverley is the ideal location for a new year escape.

There’s plenty to keep people entertained in this quaint town, from the impressive Beverley Minster to a bustling high street that’s crammed with boutique shops. Having undergone a multi-million-pound m ultii milliion poun nd renovati renovation, ion The Be Beverley Arms offers a serene and seamless flow of dining and relaxation areas for guests. If the weather permits, a glass of Champagne on the outdoor terrace by the fire pit is a must. After a delicious dinner, sleep soundly in country inn style rooms designed with classic, subdued colours.

Landal Darwin Forest was recently named the ‘Best in Britain.’

This luxury lodge holiday park in the Derbyshire Peak District combines luxury accommodation with fantastic facilities.

It is the perfect place to stay for visiting local attractions such as Chatsworth House or as a base for exploring the miles of picturesque Derbyshire footpaths. They are pet friendly too!

relax@beverleyarms.co.uk | 01482 296999

darwinforest.co.uk

DERBYSHIRE

EAST YORKSHIRE

3. THE BEVERLEY ARMS,, BEVERLEY

11

2021 HOLIDAY INSPIRATIONS // ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

CORNWALL

Tregenna Castle in Cornwall is set within 72 acres of beautiful sub-tropical gardens, woodland and boasts stunning sea views overlooking St Ives bay. With 80 hotel bedrooms, 8 over 50 self catering o properties, a p restaurant, an 18 hole par 3 golf course, course a ran range of leisure facilities and located just a short stroll from the many beautiful beaches of St Ives, Tregenna has everything you need for the perfect getaway. tregenna-castle.co.uk | 01736 795254 | hotel@tregenna-castle.co.uk

NORTHUMBERLAND

oldkingstreetfarm.co.uk | 01981 240208 | info@oldkingstreetfarm.co.uk

9. WOODLANDS LODGE

Nestled in its hillside setting, Inver Lodge Hotel overlooks the fishing village of Lochinver with its quaint shops and incredible views across the clear waters of the loch to the distant outline of the Western Isles.

Outdoor adventures, crackling fires, local produce, and a warm highland welcome await.

Truly your home from home. Open seasonally March-November. stay@inverlodge.com | 01571 844496

10. CRW HOLIDAYS CORNWALL The ideal staycation destination - Over 70 properties suitable for Families, Friends and Couples.

Explore and enjoy the quality and beauty of magnificent beaches and estuaries, along coastal footpaths, with stunning views in areas of outstanding natural beauty. Short breaks – Pet friendly stays available. Call us today.

02380 292 257 | woodlands-lodge.co.uk

padstow@crw.co.uk | rock@crw.co.uk

Luxury comes as standard at Pringle Farm, a range of superb 4* and 5* boutique barn conversions in rural Cambridgeshire.

Fully equipped kitchens, luxurious living spaces and bedrooms, ideal for escaping life’s stresses, for romantic breaks stresses breaks, for ggroups ro ps and as a base from which to explore the East of England.

swintonestate.com | 01765 680900 | reservations@swintonestate.com

07741 005634 | reservations@pringlefarm.co.uk | pringlefarm.co.uk

CAMBRIDGESHIRE

12. THE YARD @ PRINGLE FARM

Experience the great Yorkshire outdoors at Swinton Bivouac.

Swinton Bivouac is part of the wider 20,000 acre Swinton Estate and home to woodland Tree Lodges, Meadow Yurts and the group friendly Loft and Snug. It is one of the most picturesque settings in the Yorkshire Dales and a great base for walking holidays, cycling adventures or simply a family or couple’s retreat.

CORNWALL

17 bedroom independently owned hotel nestled within the New Forest National Park.

Set in 3 acres of gorgeous gardens with direct access w iinto the Forest and tto the trails from Woodlands Lodge tthe hotel Garden.

New Forest Hotel The hotel provides T a tranquil and relaxing get away and d it iis also l pett friendly too!

11. SWINTON BIVOUAC

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Langley Castle Hotel & Restaurant is a 14th century Castle which nestles in the Northumbrian valley of the South Tyne.

Offering 27 luxurious guest rooms we are the perfect getaway for romantic breaks, exceptional dining, fairy-tale weddings and a whole host of other events. langleycastle.co.uk | 01434 688888 | reception@langleycastle.com

HAMPSHIRE

Delightful holiday cottages and llama trekking in rural Herefordshire. Short breaks and longer stays in the Cider House (sleeps 2) or Pomona Cottage (sleeps 4). Our llamas will be pleased to meet you and love taking guests trekking. Llama treks are also available for day guests.

8. INVER LODGE HOTEL

7. LA LANGLEY ANGLEY CASTLE H HOTEL OTEL

NORTH YORKSHIRE

6. GOLDEN VALLEY LLAMAS AT OLD KING STREET LLAMA FARM

HEREFORDSHIRE

5. TREGENNA CASTLE

PART OF THE

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Next month Don’t miss your March issue, on sale 11 February

COUNTY DOWN’S UNSPOILT BEAUTY

Photos: Alamy, Lesley Riddoch, Carol Price, Melissa Harrison

Take a true journey of discovery among the spectacular unvisited coves, peninsulas and mountains of this beguiling corner of Northern Ireland

A BEAUTIFUL MIND

CHILL OUT IN A HUT

BIKE ACROSS WALES

Inside the complex brain of Britain’s most familiar working dog: the border collie

Could more of us adopt the Scandinavian tradition of heading to a wilderness cabin for summer?

Follow two women on a thrilling adventure from Mid Wales cross-country to the coast

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Across the country we tend to amass in the obvious places. On my patch in autumn, thousands of people queue in cars, park and then pay to see the changing leaf colour at Westonbirt Arboretum, driving past dozens of broadleaf woodlands on the way there. There is comfort in cafés, signposts and loos. But there are also crowds. Similarly, the Cotswold-coloured adventcalendar villages with a tarmac rectangle that’s yours for just £3.50 per hour, are a honeypot for visitors who overlook the Forest of Dean nearby.

Godspeed the driverless car that drops us off and steers itself far away. But it isn’t just the magnetism of a car park that has us congregating like iron-filing art while other beautiful places are deserted.

Ellie Harrison Crowd-free escapes are in high demand and your personal recommendations are valued currency It seemed easier to count the people who didn’t go to Cornwall this summer. If the UK had the foam geology of Fred’s weather map on This Morning, we’d have all been in the drink. By the return of school in September – mischievously labelled the holiday-time for ‘newlyweds and the nearly-deads’ – the hotspots were no less busy.

Wherever we filmed, from the Lake District to Devon to Kent, the country lanes and hotels heaved. Good news for brand Britain. Not good news for a relaxing summer beach experience.

On Polkerris beach where there was more towel than sand, I lost sight of my children in the crowds, and there was no concealing an inelegant bikini exit from the waves. That was until I made a discovery so glaring I was embarrassed to say it out loud, even though it should have been an order through a loudhailer: move away from the car park. It’s a natural place to germinate a crowd and I too drive everywhere, but by slinking away around the headland on paddleboards we discovered the promised land: empty beaches.

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Everyone has limited holiday time and budget so it makes sense to go to the destinations with a reputation. Understandably, nobody wants to risk hard-won time and money on the unknown. I strangely do. Not because I have casual disregard for cash – I’ll actually spend weeks online casting a wide net over boundless holiday flotsam until I finally pluck out the pirates’ treasure, whereas my boyfriend would Google the word ‘holiday’, promptly click the buy button and start tapping in credit card details. But because I hate to repeat any experience (good or bad), even restaurants, since there seem so many new things to try, each an unmatching jewel added to the miscellany of my headdress.

Another good reason for the congregation is simply not knowing what else is out there. Hidden lochs, secret valleys and panoramic views don’t come with a marketing budget. To write this piece, I glided over the map that pins the location where each of my photos have been taken and, even with the coverage of a decade’s worth of new field trips every week via Countryfile, I still couldn’t think of where to recommend a holiday. So, it’s personal recommendation that’s needed to comfort our bold spending. It turns out the best-known online source of trip recommendations has been mired by fake paid-for-reviews at one end and censorship at the other – a handy tool to be used shrewdly.

Authentic local knowledge is gold and it’s something we should offer up whenever we can.

Because, although we tut when a TV show or newspaper reveals the secret gems of our home territories, we’d also be unhappy thinking a visitor who’d chosen to travel to see it missed out on experiencing the best our patch has to offer. Or at least left thinking we have bad taste.

Watch Ellie on Countryfile, Sunday evenings on BBC One. www.countryfile.com

Photo: Jon Cartwright

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