Ramblings
BBC Radio 4
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About This Podcast
Clare Balding and guests share inspiring conversations while walking in the great outdoors.
Fresh air and nature, wonderful views and uplifting chat, each week Clare hikes in a different part of our glorious countryside. Walking side by side is the perfect way to cover a huge range of subjects: literature, art, wildlife, nature, taking on personal or physical challenges, dealing with grief, confronting preconceptions about the kind of people who love to ramble.
The conversations are as varied as the landscapes we find ourselves in. If there's a recurring theme, it's the accepted truth that 'solvitur ambulando' - 'it is solved through walking': The sense of wellness, the benefits to mental health, easy companionship, or sometimes just the sense of solitude that being alone in nature brings.
Few things are better than going for a good walk. That's what we aim to share each week on Ramblings with Clare Balding.
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Recent Episodes
Mending Footpaths in Eryri
Clare walks with a group of British Mountaineering Council volunteers who’ve been working to repair footpaths in Eryri, formerly known as Snowdonia National Park.These ‘Get Stuck In’ events give…
Anglesey/Ynys Môn
Clare explores the south side of Anglesey / Ynys Môn with friends Emily Coates and Nic Parry.Beginning on the wide sands of Newborough beach, they follow the shoreline toward Holy Island / Ynys…
Fetternear, Aberdeenshire
Clare Balding joins the Garioch 50+ Men’s Walking Group for a stroll through the scenic Fetternear Estate near Kemnay in Aberdeenshire. This long-running group was founded to support men adjusting to…
Bailies of Bennachie
Clare heads up Mither Tap, a distinctive hill in the Bennachie range in Aberdeenshire.Leading the way are the Bailies of Bennachie, a group of volunteer conservators formed over 50 years ago as a…
Brockley and Ladywell with Hana Sutch
Clare Balding heads to Brockley and Ladywell for a leafy London wander with Hana Sutch, co founder of the walking app Go Jauntly. Growing up in a family that didn’t walk for pleasure, Hana…
Terminal Hillness in the north Lakes
Clare joins Ian Teasdale in the north Lake District for a very personal walk. Ian and his wife, Catherine, are on a mission to climb all 214 Wainwright fells as part of their 'Terminal Hillness'…
Ghosts of the Farm with Nicola Chester
Clare joins writer Nicola Chester for a circular walk from her home in the village of Inkpen in West Berkshire. Despite recently breaking her leg in an unfortunate tangle of dog zoomies, Nicola is…
Bredon Hill with Steve Boycott
Clare hikes up Bredon Hill with Steve Boycott, founder of the Be You Programme, an outdoor‑based initiative that helps young people build confidence and resilience. Steve explains how his work grew…
Adventurer Pom Oliver in the Low Weald
Clare Balding meets the adventurer Pom Oliver for a woodland wander near her home in West Sussex. As they stroll amongst the trees, Pom recalls extraordinary chapters from her life: polar and desert…
Walking Back to Happiness
Clare joins Glenn Meyer in Surrey’s Happy Valley for a walk that celebrates resilience and recovery. During lockdown, Glenn suffered a serious spinal injury after a simple movement on a sun lounger.…
The Gower Peninsula to Antarctica
Clare Balding joins Rob Curtis for a walk across the dramatic landscape of Rhossili Bay on the Gower Peninsula. Rob, an electrician with a passion for nature and adventure, has worked with the…
India in the Cotswolds with Corinne Fowler and Raj Pal
Clare is walking in the Cotswolds with author Corinne Fowler and historian Raj Pal, whose family has roots in both Britain and India.Corinne is leading the way, recreating and extending the “Indian…
Whispering Rocks with Anjana Khatwa
Clare joins Earth Scientist and author Anjana Khatwa for a cliffside walk in Dorset exploring the landscapes that shaped her life, and her book The Whispers of Rock – Stories from the Earth. Starting…
Nick Wilson - the Disabled Adventurer
Clare joins Nick Wilson for a circuit around Pitsford Reservoir in Northamptonshire. A former soldier, Nick now uses a powerchair after a spinal injury and years of chronic pain made walking…
Crime and Punishment in the Peak District
Clare joins writer Kate Morgan on a walk from Monsal Head to Tideswell in the Peak District. Along the way, they explore how the use of gallows and gibbets in public punishment has influenced rural…
Walk for Wendy - Chater Valley
Clare explores a six-mile loop of the Chater Valley in this week’s Ramblings. Her companion is Will Hetherington who wrote to the programme inviting Clare to join him. He wanted to share his story of…
Clare Balding's in Town!
Clare Balding’s In Town! To kick off the new series, Clare is walking in Rutland with comedian Mark Steel. Since they’re in the same place at the same time, Clare is also making a cameo appearance…
Camino Memories with the Ciao Ciao Girls
Clare is in Northumberland today for the final episode of this Camino de Santiago themed series. She’s walking along a section of Hadrian’s Wall with a fabulous group of women - the Ciao Ciao Girls…
Camino Memories in Penicuik
Clare is in Penicuik for the penultimate episode of this Camino de Santiago themed series. The first five programmes were recorded in Spain, and the final two episodes are in the UK with people…
Arriving in Santiago de Compostela with Sharon, Shirley and friends
On Clare’s last day of walking sections of the Camino, she arrives into Santiago de Compostela with a wonderful group of friends who have been following the Portuguese route, starting in Vigo.The…
Frequently Asked Questions
Ramblings has published 305 episodes since September 2010, covering topics in Nature, Places & Travel.
Ramblings is currently highly active with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 24m.
Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for Ramblings, including email and social media links.
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