BBC Countryfile Magazine

Countryfile Magazine inspires you to explore forgotten corners of the great British countryside and provides knowledge of the people and wildlife that inhabit it. We want to tempt you into trying new things, seek out new places and make the most of Britain’s beautiful landscapes.

Easy new year wins

COUNTRYFILE on TV • What to watch on Countryfile this month*

OUR CONTRIBUTORS

BBC Countryfile Magazine

A breath of fresh air for the new year • Fill your 2025 with inspiration and new adventures with a subscription to BBC Countryfile Magazine

January • NATURE l TRAVEL l NEWS l VIEWS

Britain’s best viaducts • Boasting wood, worms and wizards, the UK has a wealth of wonderful viaducts. Matt Baird picks six you can explore via rail, foot and bicycle

MYSTERY ILLNESS KILLS NATIVE CRAYFISH • A large-scale rescue mission is underway after 100 endangered white-clawed crayfish are found dead in Northumberland with mysterious markings

TENSIONS SIMMER OVER CORNISH SEAWEED FARMS • Seaweed farms promise rural investment, but locals are questioning their true environmental impact and governance

RARE SPIDERS THRIVE IN SUFFOLK NATURE RESERVE • Spiders make a comeback on an abandoned military test site

The Plodcast • Tune your ears into our podcast this January

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR SHORTLIST REVEALED • The People’s Choice Award for 2024 includes ambling badgers, lounging seals and mountain pumas

TAMWORTH CASTLE PLACED ON HISTORIC ENGLAND’S AT RISK REGISTER • Historic England adds 155 sites to its Heritage At Risk Register 2024, including a Norman castle and a Tudor fortress

FOLKLORE FOCUS • Today’s Twelfth Night traditions are a subdued version of riotous historic revelry, says Pat Kinsella

Pear and ginger chutney • Plenty of cheese and crackers leftover after the Christmas festivities? Make Jen Chillingsworth’s delicious and warming chutney for the perfect accompaniment

AI is already transforming the future of British farming

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The Tamara Way • Skirting the Devon and Cornwall border, the pretty Tamara Coast to Coast Way offers a peaceful alternative to the busier South West Coast Path. Dixe Wills satisfies his adventurous spirit on an 87-mile walk beside the River Tamar

NOW GO THERE • Dixe Wills’ top picks for food, beds and travel on the Tamara Way

Where eagles Aberdare • White-tailed eagles could be about to return to South Wales – and it’ll be down to the work of one woman. Fergus Collins talks to Sophie-lee Williams about her nine-year journey to welcome the raptors back

THE WIGHT STUFF • White-tailed eagles were released in the Isle of Wight in 2019. Here’s what happened next…

25 FOR 2025 • Now is the time to try something different. From hiking in the hills to wild camping and seeing sharks, here are some exciting ways to expand your horizons in the year ahead

Scotland’s gentle giant • If deerhounds look like something out of medieval legend, that’s because they may be the oldest dog breed in Britain. James Fair reveals the history of these elegant canines

Labour of love • The star of Charlie Cooper’s Myth Country is brilliantly placed to bring the real British countryside to the small screen, discovers Nige Tassell over a cuppa with the award-winning actor and writer

Wave of popularity • As the Mevagissey Shanty Festival draws in the crowds, the resurgence of this seafaring folk-song tradition shows no signs of waning. James Witts seeks the ‘drunken sailor’ in Cornwall

Three of the hearty best • Delving into the lyrics and history of a shanty triumvirate…

A SHIPMENT OF SHANTIES • Raise your...