Countrystride #114: FELL FOODIE - A feast on Silver How
...in which we climb one of Grasmere's low-level favourites to dine in a dell with outdoors cook, author and mental health speaker...
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Recent dispatches
- Nov 24
Countrystride #113: WHY WE RUN - Fell and trail running in the Lake District
...in which we embark on one of our all-time favourite walks – up the Glendereterra valley – to ask why runners head into the toughest of...
- Nov 10
Countrystride #112: MELVYN BRAGG - Back in the Day
...in which we return to post-war Cumbria in the company of author, broadcaster and parliamentarian, Melvyn Bragg, to reflect on his...
- Oct 13
Countrystride #111: THE HERDWICK with Will Rawling
...in which we head to misty Ennerdale in search of the Lake District's iconic sheep breed: the Herdwick. In the company of Will Rawling,...
- Sep 29
Countrystride #110: ELIZA LYNN LINTON and THE LAKE COUNTRY
...in which we visit Crosthwaite to shine a light on one of Lakeland's most neglected historic figures – remarkable Eliza Lynn Linton,...
- Sep 16
Countrystride #109: AIRA FORCE - Lakeland pleasure ground
...in which we take a timeless tour of Aira Force – one of Lakeland's enduring honeypots – to uncover a history that takes in Victorian...
- Sep 2
Countrystride #108: TO THE LAKES! The early days of tourism
...in which we journey back 200 years to the early days of Lake District tourism in the company of Jeff Cowton MBE, principal curator at...
- Aug 11
Countrystride #107: TALES from LITTLE LANGDALE
...in which we stride out from Fell Foot Farm at the foot of Wrynose Pass to explore the upper reaches of Little Langdale with National...
- Jul 21
Countrystride #106: The LICHENS of Borrowdale
...in which we take a deep dive into the miniature world of lichens with Cumbria Lichens & Bryophytes expert Pete Martin. Embarking from...
- Jun 30
Countrystride #105: THE OLD MAN and the SLATE
...in which we are joined by industrial archeologist supremo Mark Hatton to talk all things slate as we ascend and then tunnel deep into...
- Jun 16
Countrystride #104: ESKDALE - Living the Fisherground dream
..in which we don the Countrystride shorts for a balmy trip west into sylvan Eskdale to hear about Ian and Jen Hall's 27-year journey to...
- Jun 3
Countrystride #103: AMBLESIDE - A town through time
...in which we take a tour of honeypot Ambleside in the company of Blue Badge guide, and lover of all things Ambleside, Alison Pickering....
- May 12
Countrystride #102: A COAST TO COAST LOVE AFFAIR, with Debbie North
...in which we travel east to the big-sky North York Moors to meet access campaigner and Cabinet Office disability ambassador Debbie...
- Apr 28
Countrystride #101: THE YELLOW EARL and Lowther Castle
...in which we visit one of Lakeland's great historic houses, Lowther Castle, to explore the story of the 'Yellow Earl': Hugh Lowther,...
- Apr 14
Countrystride #100: WHY WE LOVE THE LAKES
...in which we celebrate our 100th birthday with an ascent of Grasmere's favourite fell, Helm Crag, to consider the question: "What is...
- Mar 31
Countrystride #99: PEAT, POWER & THE PUBLIC – Caring for Watendlath
...in which we explore the much-loved hanging valley of Watendlath and the High Tove ridge above in the company of veteran National Trust...
- Mar 10
Countrystride #98: ASKHAM – A vernacular celebration
...in which we take a wintry trip to Lowther country and the pristine village of Askham to celebrate the built heritage of Cumbria. In...
- Feb 17
Countrystride #97: TOWNEND – Troutbeck farming dynasty
...in which we descend upon the cloistered valley of Troutbeck to celebrate the 75th birthday of the National Trust farm at Townend, home...
- Jan 27
Countrystride #96: ERIC ROBSON – Wasdale, Wainwright, and a champion of Cumbria
....in which we head west to Wasdale to talk with one of Cumbria's living greats; broadcaster, author, film-maker and former sheep farmer...
- Jan 13
Countrystride #95: CATBELLS & HUGH WALPOLE
...in which we make the classic ascent of Catbells to celebrate the remarkable life of Sir Hugh Walpole, at one time one of the world's...
- Dec 30, 2022
Countrystride #94: REVIEW OF 2022
...in which we are joined by outdoors writer and editor John Manning for our annual delve into Countrystrides past, picking our best bits...
- Dec 16, 2022
Countrystride #93: A GRASMERE GINGERBREAD CHRISTMAS
...in which we take a Grasmere ramble under wintry skies with local lass Joanne Hunter, Partner at Grasmere Gingerbread, for a seasonal...
- Dec 2, 2022
Countrystride #92: DENTDALE and THE DALES HIGH WAY
...in which stride out from Chapel-le-Dale in the Yorkshire Dales to nine-miles-distant Dent on the Dales High Way long distance footpath...
- Nov 18, 2022
Countrystride #91: GEOLOGY of the LAKE DISTRICT
...in which we brave dark skies for a windy wander over Sale Fell to unearth the history of rock and glaciation in the Lake District....
- Oct 28, 2022
Countrystride #90: The VIKINGS in Cumbria
...in which we are joined by archaeologist Steve Dickinson in Gosforth to seek out the lost Norse kingdom of 'Laithlinn'. Embarking from...
- Oct 14, 2022
Countrystride #89: STEVE BIRKINSHAW – Smashing the 214
...in which we escape the autumn rains on Clough Head to meet fell-runner and Threlkeldonian Steve Birkinshaw, who in 2014 broke the...
- Sep 23, 2022
Countrystride #88: FORTY FARMS – Food and nature at Low Sizergh Farm
...in which we visit one of Cumbria's most visited farms, Low Sizergh Farm, in the company of owners Richard and Alison Park, and...
- Sep 4, 2022
Countrystride #87: TREES in the age of the Romantics
...in which we journey into Romantic-era 19th century Lakeland to explore the roots of change in our relationship with trees. In the...
- Aug 19, 2022
Countrystride #86: BEATRIX POTTER
...in which we take a warm-weather wander from Far to Near Sawrey in the footsteps of author, illustrator, farmer and countrywoman...
- Jul 29, 2022
Countrystride #85: COPPERMINES VALLEY - Landscape legacy of audacious ambition
...in which we journey into the mining past of iconic Coppermines Valley above Coniston with industrial historian Mark Hatton. Rewinding...
- Jul 15, 2022
Countrystride #84: LATRIGG with Friends of the Lake District
...in which we make the perennially popular ascent of Latrigg in the company Douglas Chalmers, outgoing chief executive of Friends of the...
- Jul 4, 2022
Countrystride #83: ALSTON & Isaac's Tea Trail
...in which we stride out from the North Pennine market town of Alston on an amiable wander along the Isaac's Tea Trail footpath. In the...
- Jun 10, 2022
Countrystride #82: DRY-STONE WALLING
...in which we wander the wildlife-rich meadows of Strickley farm, Old Hutton, with geologist and waller Arthur Robinson to learn about...
- May 20, 2022
Countrystride #81: CUMBRIAN DIALECT
...in which we trace the rise and fall of local dialect in the company of long-time friends and Cumbriana champions Jean Scott-Smith and...
- May 6, 2022
COUNTRYSTRIDE #80: ILLGILL HEAD - In search of the sublime
...in which we set out from the secluded valley of Miterdale for a wet-weather ascent of Whin Rigg and Illgill Head. As we walk, with...
- Apr 18, 2022
COUNTRYSTRIDE #79: Arthur Ransome - Life, loves & literature
...in which we descend upon Coniston Water to talk all things Ransome with lifelong Swallows and Amazons devotees Paul Flint and Geraint...
- Apr 1, 2022
COUNTRYSTRIDE #78: The Carlisle-Settle line & springtime in Eden
...in which we take a springtime stroll from Langwathby to Lazonby in the company of author Stan Abbot to track the route of the...
- Mar 18, 2022
COUNTRYSTRIDE #77: FELL PONIES – On Roundthwaite Common with Libby Robinson
...in which we depart busy Tebay to climb atop biting cold Rondthwaite Common on a trip to meet some of Cumbria's oldest residents: the...
- Mar 4, 2022
COUNTRYSTRIDE #76: WILD FELL – Restoring Haweswater, with Lee Schofield
...in which we explore the lonely eastern valley of Haweswater, where one of the Lake District's largest landscape-scale restoration...
- Feb 20, 2022
COUNTRYSTRIDE #75: THE BATTLE TO SAVE ULLSWATER
...in which we celebrate the 60th anniversary of a decisive House of Lords speech that saved Ullswater from becoming a reservoir. Setting...
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