Countrystride
Episodes
Countrystride #61: Norman Nicholson - Son of Millom
06 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we journey to Millom to discuss the life and writings of Norman Nicholson, one of Cumbria's foremost – and most neglected – wordsmit...
Countrystride #60: Wad - The wealth of Borrowdale
23 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
…in which we stride out from Seathwaite with mining authority Mark Hatton to unearth the turbulent history of Borrowdale graphite. As we battle brac...
Countrystride #59: Rural visionary - John Dunning in the Westmorland Dales
09 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we swap walking boots for the wheel as we journey down the M6 to meet John Dunning, founder of the nationally-acclaimed Tebay Services, ...
Countrystride #58: Swaledale - Meadows & mines
25 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
…in which we cross county lines to visit the internationally-important hay meadows of Swaledale. As we amble out from the Dales village of Muker w...
Countrystride #57: Helvellyn
18 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we tackle one of Lakeland's most iconic fells via the rocky arête of Swirral Edge. In the company of Tom Hayek from the John Muir Trust ...
Countrystride #56: Life in the woods - Working the Rusland rainforests
28 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
…in which we explore a rainy Rusland valley – the wooded lowlands between Windermere and Coniston. As we wander, with Rusland Horizons’ Marion...
Countrystride 55: Threlkeld - A story of stone & steam
21 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we stride out from the gateway village of Threlkeld, once a thriving industrial hub, with local lad, ex-forester and third ever Lake Dis...
Countrystride #54: Damsons of the Lyth Valley
07 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
…in which we journey south to the snow-blossomed Lyth Valley to unearth the heritage of damson plums with long-time friends and local lads Desmon...
Countrystride #53: The lost history of hill farming
26 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we head to Borrowdale in Westmorland with author and dry-stone waller Terry McCormick to uncover the lost history of hill farming. As we...
Countrystride #52: Cumbria Way with Paddy Dillon
05 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we track the undulating west shore of Coniston Water from Sunny Bank to Coniston Hall with backpacker, long-distance walker and prolific...
Countrystride #51: Skiddaw House - Loneliest house in England
19 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we enter wild country at the Back o'Skiddaw to visit Skiddaw House - the loneliest house in England. As we wander, with former wardens M...
Countrystride #50: The young people of Cumbria
06 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we celebrate our 50th birthday by handing the microphone to the next generation, as we hear from three young people with a passion for C...
Countrystride #49: Wainwright on Haystacks - An anniversary retrospective
19 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we commemorate the 30th anniversary of Alfred Wainwright's passing by taking a virtual stroll to Innominate Tarn with archivist Chris Bu...
Countrystride #48: Hadrian's Wall
08 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we head to the Cumbrian borderlands with long-time Roman authority David Breeze for a virtual stroll along Hadrian's Wall. As we wander ...
Countrystride #47: Lakeland pilgrims
22 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we embark on a virtual pilgrimage with John Fleetwood and Stephen Wright, the founders of two Cumbrian pilgrim trails. As we wander, fro...
Countrystride #46: Cumbria in a campervan
17 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we temporarily swap our walking boots for the passenger seat of an ancient Bongo campervan to take an A–Z trip around the Lake Distric...
Countrystride #45: Review of 2020
28 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we are joined by Lakeland Walker editor John Manning for our annual delve into Countrystrides past, picking our best bits from 2020 as w...
Countrystride #44: Christmas past - A Wetheral wander
21 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we take a seasonal stroll from Wetheral along the banks of a swollen River Eden with historian and writer Dr Sue Allen. As we walk, thro...
Countrystride #43: Shap & The Postman's Path
10 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we journey to Shap, the historic transport hub, to take a wintry walk among the Far Eastern Fells in the footsteps of 1950s postman Jimm...
Countrystride #42: Cumbria on film
27 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we go on holiday by mistake with author David Banning to talk about Cumbria and the Lake District on film. In a locked-down virtual wand...
Countrystride #41: Harriet Martineau - The roving Laker
13 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we enjoy a Loughrigg circular with Dr Kerri Andrews to celebrate the life of Harriet Martineau, the ‘wild rover’ sociologist who rec...
Countrystride #40: Bill Lloyd - Into the woods
30 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we take a magical autumn wander through the oak woods of Penny Rock with musician, author and outdoorsman Bill Lloyd, to hear about his li...
Countrystride #39: Thirlmere - and the flooding of a valley
16 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
…in which we take an autumnal wander along the wooded west shore of Thirlmere, the reservoir that displaced a close-knit pastoral community to ful...
Countrystride #38: James Rebanks - English Pastoral
07 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we head to Matterdale for a guided tour of James Rebanks' hill farm. As we explore thriving meadows, newly-dug ponds and scrub-fringed b...
Countrystride #37: Hardwicke Rawnsley - Lakeland champion
11 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we celebrate the remarkable life of Canon Hardwicke Drummond Rawnsley, campaigner, author and co-founder of the National Trust. As we wa...
Countrystride #36: A Walney Wander
28 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we journey to the Isle of Walney in Cumbria's deep south for a salt-laced amble through its unique landscape, wildlife and heritage. In th...
Countrystride #35: The children's literature of Lakeland
14 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we take a nostalgia-laced wander through the children’s literature of Lakeland with University of Cumbria’s Dr Penny Bradshaw. On a ...
Countrystride #34: Caring for the commons- A view from Newlands
31 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we make the short, sweet ascent of Knott Rigg with Foundation for Common Land Executive Director Dr Julia Aglionby. Enjoying views over Ne...
Countrystride #33: A brief history of Cumbria
17 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
…in which we challenge archaeologist Bruce Bennison to compress 7,000 years of Cumbrian history into 45 minutes. Setting out from the little-visited...
Countrystride #32: Lady Anne Clifford - First lady of Westmorland
28 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we explore Lady Anne's Way, the long distance trail celebrating its 25th birthday this year, with its founder, Sheila Gordon. As we strid...
Countrystride #31: Cumbrian folk music and the Back o'Skiddaw
29 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
…in which we celebrate the folk music tradition of Cumbria on a virtual wander around the Back o’Skiddaw with local musician and academic Dr Sue ...
Countrystride #30: Buttermere - Tales from the secret valley
30 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we take a stroll down memory lane along that finest of lakes – Buttermere – journeying from the bluebells of Rannerdale to Gatesgarth...
Countrystride #29: Dorothy Wordsworth & women walking pioneers
09 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we take a lockdown-necessitated virtual walk up Scafell Pike with historian and author Kathryn Aalto, whose new book, Writing Wild, gives...
Countrystride #28: Future farming – Six generations working the land
18 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
…in which we explore the Crake Valley, south of Coniston Water, with sixth-generation hill farmer John Atkinson and his partner Maria Benjamin. Fro...
Countrystride #27: Bill Birkett - Lakeland legend in Langdale
02 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
…in which we make a Little Langdale circuit with climber, author, photographer and campaigner Bill Birkett. From iconic Slater’s Bridge we explor...
Countrystride #26: Piers Gill - A winter's ascent with Mountain Rescue
16 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we attempt a winter ascent of Lingmell alongside the dramatic chasm and accident blackspot of Piers Gill with Lake District Search and Mo...
Countrystride #25: Smugglers, bombs and Plague Dogs - A walk on Wetherlam
17 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
…in which we climb the perennial Coniston favourite from the Tilberthwaite quarries up the breezy ridge of Steel Edge, one of Wainwright’s missin...
Countrystride #24: Review of 2019 & AW's lost broadcast
30 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
…in which we are joined by Lakeland Walker editor John Manning to serve up a selection of our favourite moments from the Countrystride year on the ...
Countrystride #23: West Coast Christmas - Voices from the past
13 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
…in which we walk the sandstone cliffs from St Bees to Whitehaven with author and historian Alan Cleaver. As we stroll, above a millpond-still Iris...
Countrystride #22: Lost Words - Past and future in the woods of Wreay
21 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
…in which we follow the gently-meandering River Petteril from an M6 underpass on Carlisle’s urban fringe through Wreay’s ancient woodland to...
Countrystride #21: Great Gable - Remembrance Sunday
11 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
…in which we walk from Honister Pass to the summit of Great Gable in the company of Dr Jonathan Westaway to join the annual Remembrance Sunday servi...
Countrystride #20: Upper Eden - The fight to roam, with Kate Ashbrook
17 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
…in which we follow the River Eden downstream to Kirkby Stephen with leading campaigner in the walking world, Kate Ashbrook, General Secretary of th...
Countrystride #19: Pike O’Stickle - 50 years on the fells
01 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
...in which to celebrate Countrystride's first birthday producer Dave Felton asks the questions of host Mark Richards, who guides us onto Pike o'Stic...
Countrystride #18: The Pennine Way - Creation of a long, green trail
11 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
...In which we walk from Langdon Beck to Dufton along the UK's most iconic National Trail with author and Pennine Way authority Andrew McCloy. As we e...
Countrystride #17: Beda Fell - with environmental campaigner Amy Bray
27 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we head to Martindale with Amy Bray, the Matterdale teenager who is campaigning around Cumbria to raise awareness of single-use plastic po...
Countrystride #16: The Dales Way at 50 - A walk down Dentdale
11 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we journey out East to the Cumbrian Dales and the softly-spoken valley of Dentdale to meet Dales Way creator Colin Speakman to celebrate...
Countrystride #15: John Ruskin - The Coniston visionary
05 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
…in which we set out from Coniston to celebrate the bicentenary of the birth of John Ruskin, the Victorian polymath who wrote that mountains are "th...
Countrystride #14: A Pennine Journey - Life-changing walks
29 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
…in which we are joined by Cumbria Magazine and Lakeland Walker editor John Manning to walk from Dufton to Appleby-in-Westmorland along the Pennine...
Countrystride #13: The Solway Coast - Wetlands, birdsong and lost lines
28 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
...In which we wander with Ann Lingard along the mosses, marshes and mudflats of the Solway coast. Enveloped in birdsong, we take in big skies, skelet...
Countrystride #12: Great Langdale - A heritage landscape
12 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we celebrate World Heritage Day by exploring Great Langdale with National Trust archaeologist Jamie Lund. Setting out from Sticklebarn, we...
Countrystride #11: High Stile – and the Buttermere skyline
15 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
…in which we climb above Buttermere on a blustery ridge walk over the High Stile range with researcher and broadcaster David Powell-Thompson, best k...
Countrystride #10: Mardale Head - A walk on the wild side
20 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we climb to the impressive upland corrie tarn of Blea Water from Mardale Head with mountain leader Phil Tinning before striking over rough...
Countrystride #9: Derwent Water: Creation of a landscape
06 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we walk Derwent Water's wooded west shore from Manesty to Brandelhow Wood with National Trust ranger Roy Henderson, who talks to us ab...
Countrystride #8: Terry Abraham: Life on the mountains - A stroll on Helvellyn
18 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
…in which we make the classic Helvellyn ascent to the Hole in the Wall with film maker Terry Abraham, whose celebrated ‘Life of a Mountain’ docu...
Countrystride #7: A Grasmere Christmas - The Wordsworths and the coffin route
20 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we brave the drizzle to walk from Dove Cottage in Townend along the old corpse road round Grasmere to join the festivities at Allan Bank....
Countrystride #6: Langstrath - and the trees of Borrowdale
05 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
...in which we wander up rugged Borrowdale to visit the Langstrath Birch, one of seven enigmatic trees identified by Harriet and Rob Fraser in their...
Countrystride #5: Ghosts of Burnmoor - Eskdale to Wasdale
16 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
…in which we embark on a spooky - and windy - Hallowe’en wander along the moorland corpse road between St Catherine’s Church, Boot, and St Olaf’...
Countrystride #4: Alfred Wainwright - In the footsteps of a legend
01 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
...In which we walk between Windermere and Brockhole to climb the viewpoint of Orrest Head, where author, artist and fellwalker Alfred Wainwright fir...
Countrystride #3: Farming the Borderlands - Rural life and the Roman Wall
11 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
...In which we gain a farmer’s perspective on life close to Hadrian’s Wall. Stockmen and women converse about their lives and the age-old cycle o...
Countrystride #2: Sheffield Pike - Mines and Community
11 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
...In which we set out from Glenridding, a village that owes its origins to the lead mining industry, to climb Sheffield Pike. During the walk we meet...
Countrystride #1: Scafell Pike - Roof of England
11 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Dispatch #1: SCAFELL PIKE - Roof of England ...In which we tackle the Big One, Scafell Pike, from Wasdale Head. We're joined by Fix the Fells...