Country Lore
The team meet with experts to learn about nature and the behaviour of wildlife in the winter, and what folk wisdom across the centuries can teach us about the season.
As we head into winter, the days are getting shorter, the weather is turning colder, trees are losing their leaves, and wildlife is taking shelter. The countryside might appear dormant, but there is still lots to see, especially if you know what to look for! John Craven is in Oxfordshire, where he learns about the signs provided by clouds, the behaviour of birds and a canon of country lore that might be of use at this time of year. Gavin Pretor-Pinney of the Cloud Appreciation Society shows John how to predict an incoming rain shower. Phil Bruss of the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust reveals the elusive signs left by countryside creatures and what they tell us about the behaviour of our winter wildlife. John meets writer Ruth Binney, who opens the book on many snippets of folk wisdom from over the centuries. John also unwraps the Countryfile archives, including when Matt Baker went wassailing, and elsewhere, Charlotte Smith investigates the impact of recent storms on the countryside.
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