Chris Skinner's Countryside Podcasts

Episode 2.93 - Hedera Helix and Vespa Nests

Send us Fan Mail On a misty mid-October morning at High Ash Farm, with the clay pond in the woodland completely dry and deer tracks printed in the mud, Chris Skinner and

Episode 2.92 - Death Watch Frass and Nightshade Berries

Send us Fan Mail On a bright early-October morning at High Ash Farm, autumn has arrived in earnest at Fox’s Grove. Horse-chestnut leaves are already brown and falling as

Episode 2.91 - Tenancy Act and Norfolk Gem

Send us Fan Mail On a bright late-September morning at High Ash Farm, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin sit on a homemade oak bench with a panoramic view of Norwich and b

Episode 2.90 - Fairy Rings and Giant Puffballs

Send us Fan Mail On a fine mizzling mid-September morning at High Ash Farm, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin begin in the farmyard and notice that September has lived up

Episode 2.89 - Ivy Bees and Falling Ash

Send us Fan Mail On a beautiful early-autumn morning at High Ash Farm, after another 13 millimetres of welcome rain has turned the fields verdant once more, Chris Skinne

Episode 2.88 - One-Tooth Charlie and Glacial Water

Send us Fan Mail On a grey but mild early-September morning at High Ash Farm, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin slip through a gap in the hedge onto Hallback Lane and sta

Episode 2.87 - Alfalfa Aphids and Self-Pruning Giants

Send us Fan Mail On a misty, humid late-August morning at High Ash Farm, with rain threatening after another dry month of just 17 millimetres, Chris Skinner and Matthew

Episode 2.86 - Beech Cupules and Clay Pond Drinks

Send us Fan Mail On a fresher late-August morning at High Ash Farm, after just under ten millimetres of welcome rain has begun to tint the parched pastures with the fain

Episode 2.85 - Eclipse Crowds and Buzzard Bales

Send us Fan Mail On another scorching mid-August morning at High Ash Farm, the day after a spectacular partial solar eclipse, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin reflect on

Episode 2.84 - Drought Whips and Hornbeam Bracts

Send us Fan Mail On a breezy mid-August morning at High Ash Farm, with temperatures still high after another week above 30°C and only a fleeting six millimetres of rain

Episode 2.83 - Tinder Fields and Hobby Missiles

Send us Fan Mail On a fiercely hot, windy late-July morning at High Ash Farm, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin stand on one of the highest points of the farm as temperat

Episode 2.82 - Rook Roosts and Meadow Makers

Send us Fan Mail On a still late-July evening at High Ash Farm, Chris Skinner settles beneath a field maple in Fox's Grove as thousands of jackdaws and rooks gather

Episode 2.81 - Flamingo Pond and Burnet Banquets

Send us Fan Mail   On a beautiful but still dry mid-July morning at High Ash Farm, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin explore Woodcock Wood and a rarely visited blue clay

Episode 2.80 - Butterfly Banquets and Nettle Nurseries

Send us Fan Mail On another scorching July morning at High Ash Farm, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin explore the extraordinary abundance of butterflies thriving despite

Episode 2.79 - Hayfield Kites and House Martin Mud

Send us Fan Mail On a glorious early-July morning at High Ash Farm, Chris Skinner rises at 6 a.m. to follow Neil mowing hay across Cantley Hill. A swirling flock of less

Episode 2.78 - Foxglove Spires and Peregrine Kills

Send us Fan Mail On a breezy mid-June morning at High Ash Farm, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin stand among towering foxgloves in dappled woodland — spectacular spikes

Episode 2.77 - Dragonfly Dances and Bee Swarm Ball

Send us Fan Mail On a glorious hot mid-June morning at High Ash Farm, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin begin at the maturing lake, alive with emperor dragonflies laying

Episode 2.76 - Pyramidal Splendour and Honey Fungus Worries

Send us Fan Mail On a breezy, showery mid-June morning at High Ash Farm, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin walk through the magnificent wildflower meadows, now refreshed

Episode 2.75 - Bee Orchid Wonders and Mistle Thrush Meadows

Send us Fan Mail On a breezy early-June morning at High Ash Farm, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin walk through one of the glorious wildflower meadows carpeted in oxeye

Episode 2.74 - Firethorn Butterflies and Heatwave Heartbreak

Send us Fan Mail On a breezy, sunny late-May morning at High Ash Farm, Chris Skinner rejoices in an extraordinary influx of Painted Lady butterflies drawn to the pyracan