- Field of dreams – The Muker area provides one of the best places to see upland hay meadows in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, as footpaths take you right through the middle of these stunning landscapes.
- A cut and dried business - Say it with flowers – but make sure they are home-grown and seasonal, not flown halfway round the world, urges a Herefordshire grower flying the flag for local producers.
- Great British food - Miranda Gore Browne focuses on BBQs and outdoor eating, and her monthly recipes include chicken spatchcock and a gorgeous raspberry dessert.
- What’s cooking in your kitchen? – Featuring head chef Abdalla El Shershaby who runs the kitchen and the kitchen garden at Bodysgallen Hall in North Wales.
What’s in this issue?
In this edition of ‘Countryside’, our focus is particularly on nature and the environment. On page 111, Rutland farmer Sarah Bell speaks powerfully of how she looks to encourage wildlife in what’s often, rather disparagingly, called the ‘dead space’ on farms. The bit of land by the yard, the strip along the track, the patch of field at the back of the barn – the forgotten places that aren’t cropped or grazed where, with a bit of encouragement or intentful neglect, wildlife can thrive. “Nettles, for example, get a bad reputation,” she says. “Nobody wants to fall into them: they sting, they spread and they look messy. But they are vital. Those scruffy patches of nettles are nurseries for butterflies, like small tortoiseshells, peacocks, red admirals. Their caterpillars depend on nettles to survive.”
Her words are a timely reminder of the work tens of thousands of farmers do to produce our food and maintain our beautiful countryside. Continuing this theme, the NFU’s assistant environment adviser Jana McWhirter explains some of the lesser-known things that farmers are doing to look after the countryside – from providing seeds for birds to looking after the soils.
In a similar vein, on pages 105-8, countryman Richard Negus explains his passion for the craft of hedgelaying. Hedges, he says, are vital boundary markers, livestock barriers and wildlife corridors, and his new book ‘Words from the hedge’ is described as a love letter to the hedge. It’s worth reflecting that hedges may seem like an inimitable part of the British countryside, but each one was planted with a purpose and their maintenance is all part of the landscape that we love.
Also
in this edition…
- Singing for your supper - Charlotte Reather goes behind the scenes to look at the meteoric rise of the Hawkstone Farmers’ Choir, winners of this year’s ‘Britain’s Got Talent’.
- Nature Magpie - Dr Daniel Allen puts the spotlight on the habits and habitat of the common newt.
- Country Rambles - Dudley Edmunds takes a ramble around the nature and folklore of the August countryside.
- View from the Farm, August – Weather, sheep and the history beneath our feet are among this month’s topics for Joe Stanley.
- Climate farmer - Focus on Bucksum Salads in Buckinghamshire who sustainably grow fresh salads and produce for their farm shop and restaurants on the 4-acre plot.
- Beyond the stable door – National Racehorse Week is set to return, offering an opportunity to go behind the scenes of British horse racing.
- Viewpoint - Michael Barker looks at how the British wool sector can be revitalised after years of fluctuating fortunes.
- Crossword and puzzles – Test your grey matter with our rural-themed crossword, wordsearch and topical questions.
- Multi-talented trees - As well as making our landscapes beautiful, trees have an abundance of talents, from providing us with fuel, to helping us breathe easily. Let’s celebrate Britain’s trees and all they do for us…
- Hedging your best - “There are many modern and practical reasons for managing hedgerows properly,” says Richard Negus, a professional hedgelayer who is keen to dispel the idea that they’re only decorative features or boundary markers.
- The Summer of ’76 – We look back on Britain’s most infamous drought and reflect on what its lessons can teach us today.
- Buyer’s guide to… kit for ecological grass and vegetation management where people cut less frequently to create better habitats for wildlife, including mowers for cutting long grass, old-school manual scythes and devices to scare off insects before they get caught up in blades.
