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Recent dispatches


#148: Tom Stephenson and Thomas Arthur Leonard – Footsteps to the Lakes
...in which we head south to Pendle Hill to explore the extraordinary lives of two campaigning outdoorsmen, who helped establish National...
6 days ago


#147: Last of its kind – Eskdale Mill
...in which we venture west to the Eskdale village of Boot to visit the last remaining water cornmill in the Lake District. Guided by...
Mar 28


#146: The lead mines of Nenthead
...in which we visit the far northeast of Cumbria to explore the remarkable history and remains of the Nenthead lead mines. In the...
Mar 15


#145: The Westmorland Dales – A century of farming memories
...in which we delve into a remarkable oral history archive to paint a long-view picture of the ever-changing farmed landscape of the...
Feb 28


#144: Gavin Capstick – New CEO of the Lake District National Park
...in which we are joined by Gavin Capstick, new chief executive of the Lake District National Park Authority, for a wide-ranging chat...
Feb 14


#143: Robert Southey – The neglected Lake Poet
...in which we visit Keswick Museum for a deep dive into the life of one of Romantic Lakeland's most under-appreciated figures: writer,...
Jan 17


#142: Review of 2024
...in which we unwrap a selection box of our favourite clips from the year past in the company of Cumbria Wildlife Trust's Jamie...
Dec 30, 2024


#141: A Cumbrian Christmas Cracker
...in which we congregate at the Armitt, Ambleside for a night of readings, historic press reports, dialect poems and music that...
Dec 23, 2024


#140: The owls of Grasmere, with Polly Atkin
...in which Dave takes a midwinter stroll with author Polly Atkin to discuss The Company of Owls , Polly's new book about her tawny owl...
Dec 20, 2024


#139: Gowbarrow Fell with Fix the Fells
...in which we make a breezy autumnal ascent of Gowbarrow Fell to learn about the unending work of Fix the Fells. In the company of FtF...
Dec 1, 2024


#138: Running int' fells - A brief history of fell-running, with Peter Todhunter
...in which we take an autumnual stroll around Grasmere to explore the history of fell-running with runner, archivist and west coast lad...
Nov 16, 2024


#137: Voices from the changing commons
...in which we delve into a remarkable oral history archive to paint a picture of the historic Cumbrian commons as they enter a period of...
Nov 1, 2024


#136: Rebecca Smith in Grizedale – Lives of the working class countryside
...in which we take an autumn stroll into Grizedale Forest with local-born author Rebecca Smith to explore the hidden history of working...
Oct 19, 2024


#135: Phoebe Smith – Love, loss and life on Britain's ancient paths
...in which Dave interviews adventurer, author and multi-award-winning photographer, presenter and broadcaster Phoebe Smith about...
Oct 11, 2024


#134: The Scafells – Hidden views and curious histories
...in which we ascend Moasdale from Cockley Beck in the company of author Guy Richardson to take a long view of the Scafell massif and...
Sep 27, 2024


#133: Whitehaven - A remarkable history
...in which we tour the west coast town of Whitehaven in the company of Blue Badge guide and historic buildings expert Alexandra...
Sep 14, 2024


#132: Cumbria – 1,000 years of maps
...in which we tell the 1,000-year story of cartography in the historic counties of Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire with author,...
Sep 1, 2024


#131: The Atlantic rainforests of Borrowdale
...in which we stride out from Seatoller in the company of conservationist and lichenologist April Windle to explore the Celtic woodlands...
Aug 16, 2024


#130: Goldscope – The wealth of Newlands
...in which we journey deep into Newlands to tell the remarkable story of Elizabethen copper mining, and the part it played in making...
Aug 2, 2024


#129: Loughrigg Fell: Tales of a small mountain
…in which we climb one of the Lake District's most popular heights, Loughrigg Fell, to celebrate the launch of a new book, Loughrigg:...
Jul 19, 2024


#128: The lost history of Brampton coal
…in which we head to the far northeast of Cumbria to explore the once thriving North Pennines coal industry in the company of ex-pitman...
Jul 5, 2024


#127: MATT STANIEK: Saving Windermere
...in which we stride out from Waterhead in the company of ecologist and Save Windermere campaigner Matt Staniek. In the vibrant...
Jun 21, 2024


#126: PUBS OF CUMBRIA: When communities save their pubs
...in which, standing in for Mark and Dave, BBC Cumbria's Nick Brownlee takes a seat at the bar to discuss the highs, lows and daily...
Jun 8, 2024


Countrystride #125: Nature friendly farming champion: James Robinson from Strickley
...in which, guest presenting for Mark and Dave, Radio 4's Caz Graham dons her boots for a day on the farm with organic dairy farmer,...
May 24, 2024


Countrystride #124: 778 ascents of HELVELLYN, with fell top assessor Jon Bennett
...in which, standing in for Mark and Dave, broadcaster Nick Brownlee ventures out with Jon Bennett – a man who has climbed Helvellyn 778...
May 6, 2024


Countrystride #123: BARROW-IN-FURNESS – A tale of iron and ships, hair and shops
...in which we explore the industrial and social history of Barrow-in-Furness in the company of former mayor John Murphy and artist Maddi...
Apr 19, 2024


Countrystride #122: LIMESTONE of the WESTMORLAND DALES
...in which we set out from springtime Orton to explore the limestone scars of the Westmorland Dales in the company of husband-and-wife...
Apr 5, 2024


Countrystride #121: A HISTORY OF PAPER-MAKING on the RIVER KENT
...in which we take a Dales Way wander downstream from Cowan Head to Burneside to explore the long history of paper-making on the River...
Mar 23, 2024


Countrystride #120: A history of BOATING ON WINDERMERE
...in which we are joined by Kendal-based author and Windermere Lake Cruises skipper Robert Beale to dive into the deep history of...
Mar 9, 2024


Countrystride #119: The birth of QUAKERISM in CUMBRIA
...in which we celebrate the 400th anniversary of the birth of George Fox – founder of Quakerism – on a journey through '1652 country'...
Feb 23, 2024


Countrystride #118: JAMES FORREST: Record-breaking round of the 214
...in which we're defeated by weather, so shelter indoors to hear from one of the UK's great adventurers: Cockermouth-based James...
Feb 9, 2024


Countrystride #117: ABOVE GREAT MOSS: Stone axes of the earliest settlers
...in which we rewind the centuries to the Neolithic Age on a journey in search of Lakeland's earliest settlers and their highly-valued...
Jan 19, 2024


Countrystride #116: REVIEW OF 2023
...in which we uwrap a selection box of our favourite clips from the year past in the company of Lakeland Walking Tales blogger and...
Dec 30, 2023


Countrystride #115: A CUMBRIAN CHRISTMAS FEAST - With Helen Rebanks and Ivan Day
...in which we are joined by Farmer's Wife author Helen Rebanks and food historian Ivan Day for a feast of Cumbrian Christmas fare. In...
Dec 19, 2023


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...
Dec 8, 2023


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 24, 2023


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...
Nov 10, 2023


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,...
Oct 13, 2023


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 29, 2023


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 16, 2023
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