SideCountry Podcast

George Browne has just come back from Slovakia, where a family trip reminded him of one of the stranger evenings of his life: drinking homemade slivovitz in a forest clearing while his wife's uncle was crowned King of the Tramps.That leads George, Richard Prideaux and Amy Green into a bigger question: does getting into the countryside feel different in Britain from elsewhere?Britain has an enormous inherited network of footpaths, bridleways and other public rights of way, much of it following routes that have existed for centuries. But compare that with Slovakia's colour-coded hiking trails, Scotland's broader responsible-access system, Scandinavian freedom to roam or the carefully managed trails in the Alps and Tasmania, and very different approaches to outdoor access start to emerge.They get into maps and waymarking, historic paths, access land, hiking clubs, population density, outdoor culture and why having lots of legal access does not necessarily make that access obvious or easy to use.Richard also unveils his modest 50-year plan for improving countryside access in Britain, while George calculates walkers per acre and Amy considers where greater access may still need sensible limits.In this episode:Slovak tramping, osady and George's encounter with the King of the TrampsHow footpaths, bridleways, byways and open-access land work in England and WalesWhy Scotland's access system feels different from the rest of BritainHow Slovakia, Scandinavia, the Alps and Tasmania organise hiking and public accessWhy waymarking, maps, infrastructure and outdoor culture matter as much as legal rightsRichard's 50-year plan for expanding responsible countryside accessUseful links:SideCountrySupport SideCountry on PatreonGOV.UK: Rights of way and accessing landScottish Outdoor Access CodeKlub slovenských turistovTrampské múzeumOrdnance Survey Explorer mapsRight to RoamGeoWizard on YouTubeDISCLAIMERViews are those of individual speakers and do not necessarily represent SideCountry, its presenters, contributors, partners or sponsors. For general information and entertainment only. Laws, seasons, access and guidance change; check official sources, obtain permission and act within your competence.

What happens to Britain’s birds when they leave Britain?Richard Prideaux and Callum McInerney-Riley are joined by Mark Nowers, RSPB Turtle Dove Conservation Adviser in Essex and one of the people behind Operation Turtle Dove.Recorded in the middle of autumn migration, they start by looking upwards. Redwings are arriving from Scandinavia and Iceland, geese are coming in from Siberia, other birds are simply passing through, and some will travel thousands of miles further south.Mark explains the flyways connecting Britain to the Arctic, Europe and Africa, how bird ringing and satellite trackers transformed what we know about migration, and why people once genuinely believed swallows spent the winter at the bottom of ponds.Then things get more complicated. Atlantic storms, food failures and warmer winters all have an effect on migrating birds. And a bad year for lemmings in the Arctic can eventually show up in the number of young Brent geese arriving in Britain.Which raises a bigger question: are they actually “our” birds?A conversation about bird migration, but really about how thoroughly connected the natural world is.In this episodeWhy mid-October is one of the busiest times for bird migration in BritainThe East Atlantic Flyway and where Britain’s winter visitors come fromWhy people once thought swallows spent winter underwaterHow ringing developed into satellite trackingStorms, vagrant birds and arrivals from North AmericaBramblings, waxwings and birds moving in search of foodClimate change winners and losersThe surprisingly important connection between lemmings, Arctic foxes and Brent geeseWhether a migratory bird can really belong to one countryTurtle doves, hunting pressure and conservation across an entire flywayWhat farmers can do for farmland birds, and why funding mattersLinksOperation Turtle DoveRSPB: Turtle DoveBTO: Bird Migration – A MasterclassBTO Cuckoo Tracking ProjectBTO BirdTrackSideCountrySupport SideCountry on PatreonDISCLAIMERViews are those of individual speakers and do not necessarily represent SideCountry, its presenters, contributors, partners or sponsors. For general information and entertainment only. Laws, seasons, access and guidance change; check official sources, obtain permission and act within your competence.

What does “wild” actually mean in a country where almost every landscape bears the mark of people?George Browne and Richard Prideaux are joined by archaeologist and author Eloise Kane, whose book Wilderlands: The Human History of Wild Britain traces 12,000 years of our changing relationship with the natural world.Starting with the extraordinary antler headdresses found at Star Carr, the conversation moves through ancient field boundaries, hunting, domestication, introduced species and deliberately designed landscapes to ask how much of what we think of as natural has actually been shaped by human hands.There are brown hares that arrived thousands of years after people did, man-made landscapes that now feel completely wild, red kites moving from pest to conservation success story, and wolves that have become symbols of both what Britain has lost and what some people would like to bring back.That leads into the modern arguments around rewilding, access, wild camping and our tendency to value nature most when it behaves in the way we would like it to. Do we really want wildness, or do we want the appearance of it without the inconvenience?Rather than searching for some perfect point in the past to recreate, Eloise argues for using history to understand the landscape we actually have. The fact that somewhere bears our mark does not automatically make it less valuable.Useful Links- Wilderlands: The Human History of Wild Britain- Eloise Kane on Bluesky- Star Carr Archaeology Project- SideCountry- Support SideCountry on PatreonDISCLAIMERViews are those of individual speakers and do not necessarily represent SideCountry, its presenters, contributors, partners or sponsors. For general information and entertainment only. Laws, seasons, access and guidance change; check official sources, obtain permission and act within your competence.

What happens when going outdoors becomes content?Social media has encouraged huge numbers of people to walk, camp and spend time in the mountains. But it has also created an industry of outdoor influencers, brand deals and increasingly dramatic content, where looking adventurous can sometimes matter more than knowing what you're doing.Richard Prideaux is joined by Scotty, better known as Scotty on the Summit, a former Royal Navy aeronautical engineer with years spent working alongside commando units and a lifelong background in the outdoors.Scotty began posting online to share what he had learned, but quickly found himself frustrated by the images and narrative circulating through hiking social media. They discuss how misinformation gets repeated, why risky-looking content performs so well, and the role outdoor brands and marketing agencies can play when free kit and social reach become more valuable than experience.But where does encouraging people outside end and responsibility begin? Richard and Scotty look at the accusation of gatekeeping, why qualifications and professional instruction still matter, and what can happen when somebody sees an experienced-looking person doing something risky online and assumes they can safely do the same.The conversation also gets into navigation, weather, route planning, GPS, map and compass skills, clothing, mountain rescue and the satisfaction that comes from learning the craft rather than simply completing the route.Because perhaps the answer isn't to stop listening to people on the internet or stop encouraging people into the hills. It is to make competence something worth aspiring to.Competence is cool.In this episode:How outdoor social media became dominated by influencers and brand contentWhy bad advice spreads so easily onlineFree kit, sponsorship and the pressure to make things look extremeWhen adventurous content starts influencing real-world riskIs talking about experience and training really gatekeeping?The difference between encouraging people outdoors and preparing them properlyWhy professional guides, instructors and qualifications still matterLearning navigation rather than simply following a GPS routeMap, compass, weather and route-planning skillsThe value of self-reliance in the mountainsWhy outdoor brands need to think about who represents their productsVisibility, clothing choices and being found if something goes wrongTaking pride in learning a craft properlyWhy competence is coolUseful links:Scotty on the Summit on InstagramMountain Training: Hill SkillsSupport the SideCountry NetworkMountain Training: Mountain SkillsAdventureSmart UKMountain Rescue England and Wales: Stay SafeSideCountry NetworkOrdnance Survey: Map SkillsDISCLAIMERViews are those of individual speakers and do not necessarily represent SideCountry, its presenters, contributors, partners or sponsors. For general information and entertainment only. Laws, seasons, access and guidance change; check official sources, obtain permission and act within your competence.

What is a forest actually for?Richard Prideaux is joined by Nick Adams, forestry contractor, SideCountry writer and a man whose family has been following each other into the woods for generations. This episode was recorded at the 50th anniversary APF show at Ragley Estate on 24th September 2026.Surrounded by chainsaws, woodchippers and some extremely expensive machinery, they start with the less visible side of forestry: the people who actually plant, manage and harvest Britain's woods, and the strange disconnect between our enthusiasm for trees and our understanding of timber as something we use every day.They discuss the competing demands placed on modern woodland, from producing timber and storing carbon to supporting wildlife and providing somewhere for people to walk, ride and spend time outdoors. Can a forest really do all of those things at once, and should it have to?Richard and Nick then sit down with Andrew Sowerby, President of the Institute of Chartered Foresters, to look at the bigger picture.The conversation ranges from Britain's reliance on imported timber and the very long timescales of forestry to labour shortages, apprenticeships, woodland management, public procurement and the challenge of attracting people into careers that might shape landscapes they will never live long enough to see mature.And with technology changing work across almost every industry, there is one fairly reassuring conclusion: however clever AI becomes, somebody is still going to have to go outside and plant the trees.In this Episode:What the APF show tells us about modern British forestryThe people behind the machineryWhy timber is an everyday resource we rarely noticeBalancing timber production, wildlife, carbon and recreationWhy productive forestry and biodiversity do not have to be oppositesPublic perceptions of felling and woodland managementWhat makes a Chartered ForesterBritain's reliance on imported timberForestry, resilience and national securityPlanning woodland on timescales measured in decadesThe forestry labour shortageApprenticeships and bringing new people into the industryThe challenges facing contractors and small forestry businessesWhy forestry could offer opportunities in a changing jobs marketWhat AI cannot replace in the relationship between people and treesLinks:- RFS Branching out film- APF Exhibition- Forestry Contracting Association- Institute of Chartered Foresters- Royal Forestry Society- Support SideCountryPart of the SideCountry Network.DISCLAIMERViews are those of individual speakers and do not necessarily represent SideCountry, its presenters, contributors, partners or sponsors. For general information and entertainment only. Laws, seasons, access and guidance change; check official sources, obtain permission and act within your competence.