Episodes 462
Avg. Duration 24m
Activity Declining
Apple Rating 4.8 (85)
Since Sep 2010
Latest Episode May 2026

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Publishing Details

Schedule
Weekly
Format
Episodic
Consistency
76%
Hosting
podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk

Contact & Outreach

About This Podcast

Countryside magazine featuring the people and wildlife that shape the landscape of the British Isles

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Recent Episodes

Bluebird returns to Coniston

May 14, 2026 24m

When Donald Campbell died on Coniston Water in Cumbria in January 1967, attempting to break his own water speed record it was, to many people, the end of an era. Many would always remember where…

Wildlife Artists on Massingham Heath

May 07, 2026 23m

Martha Kearney is in Norfolk to walk the heathland that is being returned to its ancient grassland habitat by Olly Birkbeck. The Society of Wildlife Artists is holding a year-long residency…

Roadside Verges

Apr 30, 2026 24m

Britain's roadside verges rarely get much attention, but can play host to a whole range of plant and animal species. In this programme Martha Kearney finds out about this overlooked habitat. She…

Welsh Incident in Criccieth

Apr 23, 2026 23m

Jon Gower is in Criccieth in Gwynedd, to explore the area’s connection to Robert Graves’s 1929 poem, Welsh Incident. Robert Graves wrote the poem after inspiration struck on his train travels in the…

Deer Stalking in Essex

Apr 16, 2026 24m

Britain’s deer population has surged to around two million. These iconic animals are well-loved, but their growing numbers are putting real pressure on the countryside - stripping young hedges and…

Carrifran Wildwood

Apr 09, 2026 23m

Martha Kearney visits one of the UK’s earliest environmental restoration projects. Southern Scotland was once covered in broadleaf woodland, rich scrub, heath and bog. That was before sheep, humans…

In Celebration of the Daffodil

Apr 02, 2026 24m

Thriplow Daffodil Weekend in Cambridgeshire started as a way of raising money for a church roof in 1968. Nearly sixty years later, it is thriving. More than 40,000 bulbs are planted each year to…

Restoring Wallasea's Wild Coast

Mar 26, 2026 23m

Martha Kearney visits Wallasea Island in Essex, the largest manmade coastal nature reserve in Europe. It was created from the 3 million tonnes of London clay that were excavated in the digging out of…

Stroudwater's missing mile

Mar 19, 2026 24m

The Stroudwater canal in Gloucestershire was built in the 1770s. It brought coal to the mills along the Stroud valleys, which had become an important centre for the manufacture of woollen cloth, but…

The Rock Houses of Staffordshire

Mar 12, 2026 23m

Martha Kearney visits the unique cave dwellings at Kinver Edge that were lived in until the 1960s. Cosy cottages were built into the soft red sandstone with windows and doors and families lived in…

Hedgerow havens

Mar 05, 2026 24m

Hedges are such a traditional part of the British landscape that most of us don't give them a second thought. They're usually associated with the enclosures of the 17th-19th centuries, when the…

Savernake Forest

Mar 02, 2026 23m

It's an ancient hunting ground with thousands of 'veteran' trees. Henry VIII visited often as it was the seat of the Seymour Family at nearby Wolfhall. Martha visits the forest to learn about its…

The Mourne Mountain Fires

Feb 20, 2026 23m

The Mourne Mountains in County Down are home to Northern Ireland’s highest and most dramatic peaks - a landscape often shrouded in cloud and rain. Yet in recent years thousands of fires have broken…

Black Poplars: How to Save a Tree

Oct 02, 2025 23m

Have you ever heard of a black poplar? You've probably seen one, at least in a painting, even if you didn't recognise it as such. The black poplar is Britain's most endangered tree, and features in…

The Stones of Snuff Mills

Sep 25, 2025 23m

Tucked away in a wooded valley on the outskirts of Bristol is a magical woodland nature reserve, Snuff Mills. Helen Mark discovers what lies beneath the trees, a now peaceful place with a history of…

Fair Isle

Sep 18, 2025 28m

Halfway between Orkney and Shetland, Fair Isle is one of Britain’s most isolated inhabited islands. It's famous for knitting and birds, and those still form the basis of the island's economy, as…

The Menai Strait

Sep 11, 2025 24m

Martha Kearney visits the Menai Strait - the stretch of water which separates Ynys Môn or Anglesey from mainland Wales. She learns about its treacherous tides and hears about the history of its two…

Pingos and Pool Frogs

Sep 04, 2025 23m

Martha Kearney discovers the Ice Age ponds in Norfolk, called pingos, which are being brought back to life, and provide a home for the Northern Pool Frog. It's the UK's rarest amphibian and had…

Exploring the Lakes by wheelchair

Aug 28, 2025 23m

Caz Graham tries out Miles without Stiles, a scheme which helps disabled people access the Lake District. She joins a group of people in a fleet of mobility vehicles on a route from Sizergh Castle…

Aeolian harps on Wicken Fen

Aug 21, 2025 23m

Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire is one of the few remaining fragments of England’s original fenland. A place loved by naturalists for generations, it was Victorian botanists and entomologists who led…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Open Country have?

Open Country has published 462 episodes since September 2010, covering topics in Nature, Science.

Is Open Country still active?

Open Country is currently declining with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 24m.

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Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for Open Country, including email and social media links.

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