Animals-and-Pets
BBC Countryfile Magazine
The power of eight
In 2025, UK waters were invaded by hordes of common octopus. Could such 'blooms' become more regular and what might be the impact?
8 min |
January 2026
BBC Countryfile Magazine
Dog DNA tests
How reliable are DNA kits for revealing your dog's breed, exercise needs and potential health risks? Mel Sherwood puts three to the test
8 min |
January 2026
BBC Countryfile Magazine
Foot and mouth devastated rural Britain. It could happen again
When the new year is welcomed in, we hope for good fortune in the months that lie ahead. But 25 years ago, right across the British countryside, good fortune was nowhere to be seen. Instead, 2001 was to be one of the blackest years ever, as an unexpected epidemic of foot and mouth disease swept the land.
3 min |
January 2026
BBC Countryfile Magazine
Conquer triathlon
Triathlon isn't just for super-fit athletes. With a wealth of shorter distance events for all ages and abilities, there's no better time to get started on your multisport journey
3 min |
January 2026
BBC Countryfile Magazine
A NATURAL DETECTIVE
Natural navigator Tristan Gooley has spent a lifetime observing the fascinating clues of the natural world
2 min |
January 2026
BBC Countryfile Magazine
TOP 10 GETAWAY ISLANDS
Escape life's everyday stresses and experience incredible wildlife on these invigorating island escapes
9 min |
January 2026
BBC Countryfile Magazine
Permissive paths are a precarious privilege we shouldn't abuse
I've always loved a 'permissive path' - a route across private land that the owner, manager or tenant has decided voluntarily to open to all. It's always seemed like the nicest of invitations. A surprise, a welcome, a generous act, as well as an implied pact between walker and landowner: here is a safe route to use, responsibly. The direct opposite of “get off my land”, it is the action of a farmer or land manager interested in and part of their wider community.
2 min |
January 2026
BBC Countryfile Magazine
A FIERY NORDIC KNEES-UP
The Shetland Islands celebrates its Viking heritage in a flamboyant, flaming series of events that brighten the dark winter months
3 min |
January 2026
BBC Countryfile Magazine
'MEGAFARMS' FAILING TO DECLARE POLLUTION IMPACTS
Local councils are kept in the dark over potentially devastating climate impacts of new 'megafarms', says a new report
2 min |
January 2026
BBC Countryfile Magazine
SCIENTISTS FREEZE BUTTERFLY EGGS IN WORLD-FIRST EXPERIMENT
Scientists hope new breeding methods can pull the British swallowtail butterfly back from the brink
1 min |
January 2026
BBC Countryfile Magazine
Footpath faeries
From the cliffs of Cornwall to Scotland's western isles, committed volunteers are giving their time to keep the nation's trails safe.
6 min |
January 2026
BBC Countryfile Magazine
Plough pudding
Bring in the new year with this hearty savoury pudding, a traditional Norfolk favourite
4 min |
January 2026
BBC Countryfile Magazine
STRIKING BIRD BREEDS IN UK FOR FIRST TIME IN 27 YEARS
A pair of hoopoes raised young in Leicestershire and Rutland - the first confirmed breeding in the UK since 1996
2 min |
January 2026
BBC Countryfile Magazine
Discover BRAEMAR
Heading to the Braemar Gathering in Scotland's wild north, Matt Havercroft rubs shoulders with royalty, heavies and nimble-footed dancers at this prestigious event in the Highland Games calendar
8 min |
January 2026
BBC Countryfile Magazine
To avoid heartbreak, we must develop new methods of cultivation
The start of a new year is the perfect time to look ahead and think about our hopes and ambitions for the coming 12 months. I’m not a great fan of New Year’s resolutions - they’re far too easily broken - so consider this a personal wish-list for 2026.
2 min |
January 2026
BBC Countryfile Magazine
In search of natural wonders
Whether it's to reduce stress or feel a greater connection to the natural world, more of us are seeking awe-inspiring displays of nature. But where can you capture these magical moments and can you do it impact-free?
6 min |
January 2026
BBC Countryfile Magazine
The UK's best walking festivals
Walking festivals offer wonderful, sociable ways to discover far-flung locations and those closer to your doorstep. They'll motivate you to get out and walk, whether it's for a stroll through a vineyard or longer hikes over hilly terrain
2 min |
January 2026
BBC Countryfile Magazine
Manors and meadows
This December marks 250 years since Jane Austen's birth. To celebrate, Jack Watkins ambles around Chawton, where the writer penned novels that changed fiction forever
7 min |
December 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
TOP 10 ROYAL RESIDENCES
Castles, palaces and stately homes open a window into the history and private lives of the British monarchy
9 min |
December 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
Your countryside
HAVE YOUR SAY ON RURAL ISSUES
1 min |
December 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
Community spirit
Rural pubs across Britain are closing at an alarming rate - but local people are fighting back to save inns that have been at the hearts of their villages for centuries. Vivienne Crow orders a pint
4 min |
December 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
Gift ideas for nature lovers
Find inspirational and thoughtful presents for all the family in our pick of top outdoor gear and a round-up of this year's best nature and wildlife books
2 min |
December 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
Toad numbers are in freefall.It's in our power to save them
After becoming engaged at Christmas in 1998, my new fiancé and I were confronted by an enormous toad on the way to meet the vicar.
2 min |
December 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
Conquer fell running
Infamously tough yet famously friendly, the sport of fell running will take your fitness to new heights amid the wildest landscapes. Here's our beginners' guide
3 min |
December 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
A glorious haunting
They lived in the same village and shared the same dreams – just 60 years apart.
6 min |
December 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
The big questions answered
Across the UK, but particularly in the southeast of England, giant and featureless buildings are springing up.
10+ min |
December 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
Away in a manger
While most of us down tools and pick up the mince pies, a farmer's work doesn't stop for the festive break.
5 min |
December 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
PINE MARTENS RETURN TO EXMOOR AFTER MORE THAN 100 YEARS OF ABSENCE
Devon Wildlife Trust releases the elusive woodland mammals in secret Exmoor locations
1 min |
December 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
Christmas in Yorkshire
Cosy pubs, treat-laden markets and a wealth of history: there are few better locations for a rural-yet-urban Christmas combo than York, Harrogate and Studley Royal, says Vivienne Crow
6 min |
December 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
ATTENBOROUGH BACKS AMBITIOUS WILDLIFE PROJECT
Sir David Attenborough gets behind the race to save a huge upland estate in Northumberland and restore it for wildlife
1 min |