"The countryside is my home. I love the landscape, and share with the people who live and work there, the endless fascination about what makes it tick. Countrywise is going to take me into every corner of rural Britain. Who could turn down a job like that?" This spring a new series for ITV1 showcases the fabric of Britain's rural and coastal life. Countrywise dedicates 36 episodes to the riches which lie beyond Britain’s major cities. It is presented by journalist turned farmer and sailor Paul Heiney. Countrywise highlights exactly what makes our countryside tick. Combining items presented by Paul with features drawn from ITV’s regions, the programme takes in the breadth of Britain's countryside, from its crumbliest coastline and happiest valley, to its secret tunnels, rescued gardens and haunted hills. On his travels around rural Britain, Paul Heiney visits the only place in the UK to grow tea, learns the inside story of Dover's white cliffs, and discovers the country's most bizarre beach huts. In these credit-crunch times, a growing number are now turning their backs on foreign breaks and Countrywise provides an invaluable reminder of what's here on our doorstep. Through the stories of the guardians for our landscape, wildlife and traditions, Paul leaves no stone unturned in his quest to uncover the secrets of Britain’s beautiful countryside. (24 episodes in summer + 12 episodes in autumn.)
Paul Heiney explores Britain's coast and country, and meets the people that make it special. Today, he visits one of Britain's first farm shops which is in Surrey and celebrates its thirtieth birthday with an annual marmalade-making extravaganza. He takes time to try his hand at Victorian farming, and meets some of the champions who keep country traditions alive.
Today, Paul visits "The Birthplace of Industry" where a single event changed the British countryside forever. Paul discovers more about Victorian farming methods.
Paul Heiney presents a series with memorable scenes drawn from the best of the ITV regions. Paul explores Britain's coast and country, and meets the people that make it special. Today, Paul joins anglers at an idyllic spot for the start of the fly-fishing season, and learns more about Victorian farming methods.
Paul Heiney celebrates St George's Day on the hill where legend says the dragon was slain. He also explores Britain's oldest footpath, finds out about Victorian farming methods and introduces people who keep country traditions alive
Paul Heiney explores Britain's countryside, and finds memorable scenes from the ITV regions. Today, Paul meets trainee farmers, farriers and blacksmiths who are learning the old skills for a new generation. Paul also finds out how the Victorians farmed, and introduces another country champion keeping tradition alive.
Today we find out how an historic Kent dockyard changed the landscape forever as whole forests were felled for the timber to build warships such as the Victory. We also learns more about Victorian farming traditions, and are introduced toanother country champion who is working to keep traditions alive.
This week, we visit the Malvern Hills, eight hundred million years in the making and officially one of the best places in Britain to walk a dog. Paul also helps to shear sheep the Victorian way, and Selina Scott visits the most remote railway station in the country.
Today's adventure starts in Cornwall where Paul meets the crew of the Penzance lifeboat that is celebrating 150 years of service. In Newquay, he visits the 'House in the Sea' and meets a young surfing champion. Meanwhile, Rachel de Thame discovers the only place in Britain that grows tea.
Today they are in Northumberland, where Paul visits a man-made lake named as the most tranquil spot in the country. Meanwhile Rachel tours the grounds of Alnwick Castle - the Windsor of the North - and discovers that the garden holds a deadly secret.
Today, they are in the Lake District celebrating 150 years of the Ullswater steam boats, and watching the annual ritual of salmon fisherman keeping alive a Viking tradition of fishing with wings. Bettany Hughes discovers how the dramatic scenery inspired one of England's most famous poets.
Today we are in Constable country, celebrating the anniversary of the birth of one of Britain's best-loved landscape painters. We also find out about ambitious plans to create the UK's biggest wetland nature reserve AND Bettany Hughes investigates the landmark feat of engineering which stops this area disappearing under the sea.
Paul Heiney and the team explore the countryside in and around London. Paul meets the ranger who looks after Richmond Park's 600 deer, and talks to the man who mows the grass with the capital's last working shire horses. Rachel de Thame visits a rooftop garden in Kensington, and a wealth of birdlife is discovered in a city centre cemetery
Paul Heiney and the team explore the dams and reservoirs of the Elan Valley in Wales, test site for Barnes Wallis's bouncing bomb ahead of the Dam Buster raids in World War Two. Kate McIntyre meets a sheep farmer who helped rescue Britain's red kite population and there is a visit to a model village created to replace homes in the flooded valley
Paul Heiney and the team are in the Cotswolds to visit a village that topped a poll of the best places to live in the UK. Rachel de Thame discovers the secret garden belonging to Blenheim Palace, and Bettany Hughes explores an unfinished Gothic mansion that has never been inhabited
The team travels to Northern Ireland, exploring the natural, industrial and cultural roots of Lough Erne. Paul Heiney visits a mystical island and goes birdwatching, while Bettany Hughes tours a local factory with a worldwide reputation
In a programme first show in 2009, the team heads to Dover for a double anniversary. Paul Heiney marks the centenary of the first cross-Channel flight and celebrates the 50th anniversary of the first hovercraft crossing to France. Bettany Hughes visits the White Cliffs, where she explores secret tunnels that have never been opened to the public
Paul Heiney visits the north of Scotland and takes a trip on steam train the Jacobite, which follows a route voted the most beautiful rail journey in the world by a travel magazine. Historian Bettany Hughes recounts the tale of Bonnie Prince Charlie, and a local fisherman tells of the day he met a monster in a loch
The team travels to the Isle of Wight on the eve of the world-famous regatta at Cowes. Paul Heiney joins an Olympic champion at the helm of a 60ft ocean racer, Kate McIntyre meets a fossil hunter searching for new species of dinosaur and Rachel de Thame visits the botanic gardens at Ventnor
One-hour special in which Paul Heiney journeys through Yorkshire and Lancashire, from Britain's first seaside resort in Scarborough to the vast natural wilderness of Morecambe Bay, looking at whether an age-old rivalry still exists between the two neighbouring regions
Paul Heiney visits the Suffolk village of Walberswick, where he witnesses the staging of the annual British Open Crabbing Championship. He also calls at a Victorian farm in Norfolk to try his hand at hay-making and meets people who are keeping rural traditions alive
Paul Heiney visits Birmingham to celebrate National Allotments Week, and gathers in the harvest on the Victorian farm in Norfolk. Plus, reports on sea kayaking around the Isle of Man and a bugle band competition in Cornwall
Paul Heiney watches ospreys when he travels to Rutland Water for the British Bird Fair. He also joins in with the south London lavender harvest and takes a trip on a steam-driven barge on a canal in the Midlands
Paul Heiney visits the Norfolk Broads, where he takes a trip on a traditional wherry trading barge. Plus, reports on cowboys in the West Country and a poacher-turned-water bailiff in Hampshire
Paul Heiney visits Whitby, North Yorkshire, for the autumn angling festival and meets Rob Green, winner of the Seafood Chef of the Year award in 2009. Plus, reports on fell ponies in Cumbria and a Hertfordshire herbalist
Paul Heiney visits the North York Moors and meets George Thompson, the 2008 Gamekeeper of the Year. Plus, reports on the campaigners who saved an ancient forest from developers, and the cattle breeders trying to save the Leicestershire Longhorn from extinction
Paul Heiney visits Exmouth in Devon to report on the national Beachwatch clean-up. Plus, the sanctuary for wolves deep in a Shropshire forest and the work of a group of Northamptonshire farmers
Paul Heiney is in Gloucestershire to celebrate British Cheese Week, visiting the home of Stinking Bishop and an award-winning vineyard. Plus, a spectacular sailing regatta in Wales and an environmentally friendly quarry in Northumberland
Paul Heiney visits the Isles of Scilly to celebrate the 25th anniversary of an airlink vital to the region's flower industry. Plus, a report from Teesdale at England's biggest upland nature reserve, and the tricks of the blacksmith's trade are revealed
Paul Heiney visits Herefordshire, the largest apple-growing county in Britain, for the start of the harvest. He hears how cider-making has developed from its farmhouse roots and discovers that eating a cider apple can be a bitter-sweet experience. Plus, a report on a ranger who knows every ancient tree in Sherwood Forest
Paul Heiney visits Dorset's Jurassic Coast at the start of the fossil-hunting season. Plus, reports on a swan rescue centre in Yorkshire, steam ploughing on the Victorian farm, and a car that floats
Paul Heiney tastes fruits including medlar and quince on a visit to a centuries-old Essex farm and jam factory. Plus reports on the West Somerset Steam Railway and an organic farming pioneer from Wiltshire
Paul Heiney visits Witley Court in Worcestershire - once one of the great stately homes of England, but destroyed by fire more than 70 years ago. Plus, Selina Scott takes a trip down the Thames in a converted electric bath chair and a falcon is put to work on the Victorian farm
Paul Heiney meets a farmer who breeds alpacas on the slopes of Glastonbury Tor in Somerset, and tries his hand at dowsing - looking for the magical lines of energy that some people believe run from the hill. Plus, a report on a Fenland farmer-turned-poet and a demonstration of Victorian carpentry skills
Paul Heiney has a close encounter with a wolf and food expert Mike Robinson explains how the countryside is his `larder'. Plus, a report on a vicar who trains sheepdogs in different languages, and a visit to a watermill producing some of the nation's healthiest flour. Mike Robinson narrates
Paul Heiney and the team visit Dorset's Jurassic coastline, classed as one of the natural wonders of the world, and discover how the landscape has shaped the lives of those who have made their homes there. The programme hears from a family that has been fishing along the coast for three centuries, and reveals how the area provided inspiration for the great novelist Thomas Hardy
Paul Heiney and the team explore the Durham Dales, one of Britain's best kept secrets, which boasts the most powerful waterfall in the country, with the River Tees tumbling through a gap a few feet wide. Bettany Hughes visits the site of the first railway, and Mike Robinson prepares a pheasant stroganoff
The team visits Sussex to uncover the countryside's living history. Paul Heiney meets a family that once owned Beachy Head, Mike Robinson gets up close to the ancient cattle breed farmed at the time of the Battle of Hastings, and Bettany Hughes unearths the secrets of the county's Roman iron mines. Rachel de Thame spends time at a world-famous garden where the rule books were thrown away
Paul Heiney marks this week's royal wedding with a visit to Anglesey, adopted home of Prince William and Kate Middleton. He hears the legend of an island dedicated to young lovers, and meets the lifeboat crews the prince works with. The history of Welsh gold wedding rings is uncovered, while in Kate's home county of Berkshire, the team finds a brewery making an ale to commemorate the big event
Paul Heiney and the team explore the landscape along Offa's Dyke, the 1,000-year-old fortifications that divide England and Wales. Rachel de Thame uncovers the wild floral beauty found in historic graveyards, and Bettany Hughes reveals the story behind the ancient art of timber-framed buildings. Chef Mike Robinson is also on hand to rustle up a traditional Shropshire dish
The team explores the landscape surrounding Loch Lomond in Scotland. Paul Heiney takes a trip on the UK's only commercial seaplane, Mike Robinson stalks deer in the hope of cooking a venison treat, and Bettany Hughes explores the legend of Scottish folk hero Rob Roy. Rachel de Thame visits a Victorian garden that has been restored to its former glory
Paul Heiney sets sail from the north Devon coast to the island of Lundy to meet the people who guard not only its land but also what lies beneath the sea. Chef Mike Robinson forages along the coastline, while Rachel de Thame visits one of Britain's most prestigious gardens
The team travels to the Chilterns to discover an area steeped in ancient crafts and traditions less than 50 miles from the centre of London. Paul Heiney meets the men still making bricks by hand, historian Bettany Hughes tells the story of boating on the Thames, and chef Mike Robinson visits a farm rearing a centuries-old English duck
A visit to North Yorkshire sees Paul Heiney climbing to the top of the spectacular Malham Cove, while historian Bettany Hughes examines the town of Whitby's links with the story of Dracula. Chef Mike Robinson is also on hand to rustle up a black pudding fit for a vampire
Paul Heiney and the team visit the Channel Island of Jersey discovering that, despite being just 14 miles from France, it is the most English of places, with a variety of landscapes across its 45 square miles
The team visits the Brecon Beacons National Park. Paul Heiney meets the sisters said to be the world's oldest twins, and bids farewell to Clive the water vole as he is released into the wild. Historian Bettany Hughes walks the path of the old drovers and chef Mike Robinson is in Waterfall Country trying out the local whisky. Rachel de Thame explores the work of the National Garden Scheme at a home dating back to the 1800s
Paul Heiney visits the coast around Bridlington in East Yorkshire, where he enjoyed childhood holidays, and Rachel de Thame returns to Hatfield House in Hertfordshire, which inspired her to be a gardener. Bettany Hughes heads to Wrexham, home of her favourite castle, Chirk, and Mike Robinson tastes one of the world's hottest chillis. Last in the series
New season. Paul Heiney investigates the myths, legends and folklore of the Isle of Man, takes a railway trip to the summit of Snaefell, the island's only mountain, and tries to find out why the Manx breed of cat has no tail. Meanwhile, historian Bettany Hughes explores the area's proud Viking legacy
Paul Heiney heads to central Scotland, going on safari at the point where the Highlands meet the Lowlands and taking a raft down the rapids of the River Tay. Meanwhile, Rachel de Thame discovers a Perthshire garden that is home to plants from the Himalayas
The team tours the coast of Northern Ireland, where Paul Heiney goes on a voyage in a Viking fishing boat, and Charlotte Uhlenbroek visits Co Antrim to explore spectacular geological feature the Giant's Causeway
A tour of Derbyshire, taking in the Peak District, the Dales and some of the lesser-known corners of the county. Historian Bettany Hughes explores the area's industrial past, while Paul Heiney visits a farm that is farther from the sea than anywhere else in Britain
The team visits St David's Head, the westernmost point in Wales. Paul Heiney walks the famous Pembrokeshire coastal path, calling in at a farm that gives children a taste of the country, and Charlotte Uhlenbroek takes a boat to Ramsey Island, home to seals and rare birds
The team celebrates London 2012, looking at how the British landscape has helped shape this summer's event. Paul Heiney discovers a touch of the countryside in the heart of the city's Olympic Park, while Bettany Hughes visits the Shropshire town of Much Wenlock, which played a key role in the birth of the Games
The team explores the tranquil valleys and towering dams of mid Wales. Paul Heiney heads 300ft down into Devil's Bridge gorge and hears how the waterfall was bought at auction, while Rachel de Thame discovers a Dutch garden 30 years in the making.
On a visit to the Kent coast, Paul Heiney explores the desert-like shingle beach at Dungeness and Bettany Hughes investigates the mystery of a church full of skulls in the market town of Hythe. The programme also takes a ride on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch railway, one of the smallest in the world.
The team explores the attractions of the most south-westerly corner of Britain. Paul Heiney heads into the treacherous waters around Bishop Rock lighthouse off the Isles of Scilly, while Rachel de Thame observes the natural beauty and plant life close to Land's End in Cornwall.
In the first of a brand new series of Countrywise Paul Heiney is on the stunning Dorset coast visit the world's largest population of Britain’s biggest bird - the swan. Ben Fogle travels to Northern Ireland in search of the elusive and iconic Irish Hare; and Liz Bonnin ventures out into the Atlantic to snorkel with basking sharks.
This week Ben Fogle heads to the breathtaking Cumbrian Fells to try his hand at sheep dog training with Shepherdess extraordinaire Katy Cropper. Liz Bonnin visits a sanctuary looking after injured and orphaned Hedgehogs in Lancashire while Paul Heiney is in Hampshire helping with the watercress harvest.
New series. Ben Fogle and Liz Bonnin travel the length and breadth of Britain to discover the countryside's hidden gems, natural wonders and great escapes. Ben heads out on a tour of the stunning Isles of Scilly with his guide Colin Taylor, the police sergeant in charge of this little part of the world, while Liz Bonnin is on the Dorset coast on to view some of the millions of birds that travel thousands of miles to reach these shores each spring.
This week on Countrywise Guide to Britain we continue our tour of the spectacular countryside - inspiring us all to pull on our wellies pack a picnic and get out and explore the great outdoors this weekend. In this episode Ben Fogle gets very close to nature as he takes a chilly naked dip in one of Snowdonia's hidden lakes; Liz Bonnin is in Galloway in Scotland and its Dark Skies Park with a group of inner city kids - to inspire them with a nocturnal safari and the magic of the stars; and we are in a remote corner of the Yorkshire Dales to meet Shepherdess Amanda Owen and her family as they welcome baby number 9 into the flock.
This week sees Ben Fogle head to his favourite county in Britain - Cornwall - to explore it from a whole new perspective as he tries his hand at free diving for the very first time - and his prize if he reaches a target depth of ten meters is the chance to dive with a colony of Grey Seals. Great British Bakeoff winner John Waite travels back home to Lancashire and the family farm he grew up in - and cooks up some traditional Lancashire treats - Eccles Cakes. Liz Bonnin is working with a team of volunteers at Cuan Wildlife Rescue centre in Shropshire- caring for injured birds; and actress Lesely Joseph is indulging her love of stately homes as she turns guide for the day at Osterley Park in Middlesex.
This week Ben Fogle - and his faithful labrador Storm - head to North Wales to try their hand at one of rural Britain's fastest growing sports, competitive sheep shearing. It's an England vs Wales clash, as Ben joins the teams racing to shear their sheep the fastest. Liz Bonnin is on the stunning Isle of Mull in Scotland, spotting pods of migrating dolphins who are returning to our shores. And we're at Sussex home of Zoe Ball, who's giving us a tour of her own back garden before she heads off to the National Trust's Standen House for some top tips of how to make her garden grow.
This week Liz Bonnin takes to the water on a canoe journey along the majestic River Wye. Meandering along the border of England and Wales, the river offers up a wealth of wildlife and as it is midsummer, Liz tries to catch a glimpse of Britain's most elusive and mysterious bird - the Night Jar. Ben Fogle heads to the Exmoor coast and the picturesque village of Porlock - where he samples the locally farmed Oysters which thanks to a local community scheme are making a comeback; and we are back in the Yorkshire Dales and Britain's biggest farming family - the Owen's - to see how baby number nine Nancy is settling in as the farm is busy bailing hay while the sun shines.
This week Ben Fogle is experiencing the world beneath the stunning Yorkshire Dales as he explores Britain's biggest underground cavern - Gaping Gill. Liz Bonnin is in Scotland and the Forest Park of Galloway - where she is tracking one of our rarest mammals the Pine Martin.; and we are at the Cotswold home of actress Angela Griffin who's sharing her love of local fresh produce with nine year old daughter Missey.
This week Liz Bonnin is witnessing one of Britain's greatest natural wonders as she takes a trip down the might river Severn during one of its massive tidal bores - and meets the surfers who say there is nothing else like it. Ben Fogel takes his six-year-old son Ludo on a Cornish adventure - where Ludo get the chance to learn to sail and the pair enjoy some rock pooling - all on a stretch of coastline close to Ben's heart. We also return to the Yorkshire Dales and the farm of shepherdess Amanda Owen - where she, husband Clive and their nine children are preparing for the annual country show.
This week Liz Bonnin is on the tiny island of Lunga off the South West coast of Scotland for an encounter with a colony of the adorable Atlantic Puffin. Ben Fogle is in Devon - joining the cowboys who drive their cattle across the tough terrain of Dartmoor each year the old fashioned way- on horseback! And we are in Dorset with musician and actor Martin Kemp for a crabbing trip with the local fishermen and a trip down memory lane.
Countrywise: Guide To Britain sets out to inspire us all to explore the beautiful British countryside – with its hidden gems, natural wonders and great escapes.
This week Ben Fogle heads to Cornwall and the paradise lse of Scilly to search for the enigmatic Blue shark. Liz Bonnin is in Dorset to sample local gin and to find out just how this spirit is a true taste of the countryside. And we return to Ravenseat Farm in Yorkshire and Shepherdess Amanda Owen and her brood of nine children as they head off to auction to sell their lambs.
This week Ben Fogle is recalculating the height of England's highest mountain Scafell Pike with the team from the Ordnance Survey; Liz Bonnin is at Cheshire's Lyme Park to witness one of Autumn's greatest natural wonders- the Red Deer Rut; and chef Gino De Campo is in his adopted home county of Hertfordshire to find some woodland ingredients for his mushroom bruschetta.
This week Liz Bonnin enjoys one of Britain's National Trails as she walks part of the Thames Path through Oxfordshire - meeting some of the people and animals who call the banks of this great river home. Ben Fogle is in Whitby on the Yorkshire coast to follow one of the nation's favourite dishes - fish and chips- from sea to fork and we return to the Dales and the farm of shepherdess Amanda Owen as the family celebrate Dad Clive's birthday.
This week Ben Fogle is in the Lake District at the annual Ennerdale show where he takes part in some sheep showing and gets to grips with some Cumbrian wrestling. Liz Bonnin heads to the River Nith in South West Scotland for a training day with the river rescue team, and actress Sheila Hancock returns to the quiet corner of the Dorset coast where she first fell in love with the countryside almost eighty years ago.
This week Liz Bonnin travels to Cheshire to spend the day in one of its stunning woodlands with a group of children at Forest School. Ben Fogle is in the Lake District to experience its stunning views from the unique perspective of the Via Ferrata - a system of cables and walkways built into the mountain side. He also heads to the River Tay in Perthshire to join cricket legend Ian Botham for a fishing trip in his favourite spot in the countryside.
In the final episode of the series Liz Bonnin is in the magical Delamere Forest to find out about the festive ingredients in our woodlands. Ben Fogle is at Castle Howard in Yorkshire - one of the grand settings of ITV's Victoria - to help with some renovation work on its gold dome; and we make our final visit to the home of shepherdess Amanda Owen in the Yorkshire Dales as the farm prepares for winter and the children prepare for Christmas.
Paul Heiney, Bettany Hughes and Rachel de Thame travel through some of Britain's most beautiful landscapes to discover the extraordinary part played by the nation's coastal and rural communities in helping to win the Second World War.
In a special festive edition, Paul Heiney and the team travel to Cornwall - a place of myths, legends and Stargazey pie. They visit the beautiful fishing village of Mousehole to discover how the sea has shaped the celebration of Christmas in this close-knit community.
Ben Fogle climbs Helvellyn in the Lake District, and Paul Heiney views the Peak District.
Paul Heiney, Ben Fogle and Liz Bonnin travel the length and breadth of Britain in search of Britain's wildest places. From the frozen mountains of the Cairngorms to the north Cornish coast, this one-hour special explores corners of the countryside virtually untouched by man and others that nature has reclaimed as its own.