National Trust Podcast: series four

Codger's Fort on the estate at Wallington, Northumberland

Listen to series four of the National Trust Podcast. With a new episode released every other week, we’ll be going behind-the-scenes at the buildings, gardens and landscapes we care for to uncover new stories.

With each episode presented by an expert guide, this series will unearth fascinating tales from Tudor folklore, take you high up into the treetops, explain the significance of apple seeds in space, put Blackpool's heritage under the spotlight, plus much more. Along the way we'll be meeting astronaut Tim Peake, fossil hunters on the Isle of Wight and a family of tree climbers. 

Subscribe and listen to the series on:

Codger's Fort on the estate at Wallington, Northumberland

National Trust podcast series four trailer

Play now

Greater Spotted Woodpecker

The Great Anthropause 

While we were all indoors during lockdown, stories of our wild neighbours bouncing back emerged across the globe. In this episode, podcast producer, Sean Douglas visits the Isle of Wight to investigate reports of wildlife taking over the island while humans were away. We also explore whether there will be a long-term positive impact on how we co-exist with the nature around us.

Download on Apple Podcasts

Episode 82: The Great Anthropause

Play now

Tim Peake reading Isaac Newton's Principia in space

Pips in Space: featuring Tim Peake 

From small seeds grow mighty oaks. This a phrase that astronaut Tim Peake knows well. In this episode we’ll explore how nature inspired and enabled man’s (and woman’s) most epic adventures.

Download on Apple Podcasts

Episode 81: Pips in Space: featuring Tim Peake

Play now

Surfers on a beach

Meet the silver surfers 

Zoom, Whatsapp, Instagram and TikTok are no longer just Millennial buzzwords. For many senior citizens social media has become a part of daily life. Negotiating our new world over the past few months has meant many of those who may have traditionally shunned technology are learning new skills. In this episode, over-60s share how their lives have been transformed by tech, from keeping in touch with loved ones to adventuring to far-flung parts of the world.

Download on Apple Podcasts

Episode 80: Meet the silver surfers

Play now

Summer solstice

Midsummer magic and mayhem 

For millennia, midsummer has been steeped in tales of mystery and magic. It inspired the construction of great temples, the lighting of bonfires and was even said to have caused people to act in strange and surprising ways. In this episode, we explore the meaning behind the legends of the summer solstice. And we discover why so many people feel a mystical connection to this time of year.

Episode 79: Midsummer magic and mayhem

Play now

Eden ISS

The ice shelf garden 

In this episode we’re bringing you another story to inspire you during lockdown. Paul Zabel, an engineer and novice gardener, was sent to work in his first greenhouse in one of the most extreme locations on Earth. At the end of his isolation, as Paul eased his way back into society, he realised he had discovered some valuable life lessons which we could learn from as we go through the same motions.

Download on Apple Podcasts

Episode 78: The ice shelf garden

Play now

Silhouette of a musician against the sunrise

DAWNS and the dawn chorus 

In this episode we share more ideas on how to keep in tune with nature during lockdown. This time Andy Beer, author of Every Day Nature, gives us his top tips on how to grow a deeper understanding of the dawn chorus. You’ll also learn how to get involved with DAWNS, one of the Trust’s most ambitious musical mass participation events happening on the 16 May.

Download on Apple Podcasts

Episode 77: DAWNS and the dawn chorus

Play now

Balcony gardener, Alice Vincent on her balcony

How gardens heal 

When faced with heartache, music journalist Alice Vincent found a surprising remedy in her tiny balcony garden at her London flat. In this episode, Alice explains how even the most unlikely spaces – from concrete yards to windowsills - can be transformed into beautiful ‘micro-gardens’. She also shares her personal experience of the positive effect gardening can have on our wellbeing.

Download on Apple Podcasts

Episode 76: How gardens heal

Play now

Plants growing on a London balcony

How to garden in small spaces 

You don’t need a large amount of space to create your own green paradise. In this article, Alice shares her top tips for gardening in small spaces. Click through for tips on what to plant and how to avoid the most common mistakes for beginners.

Read her gardening top tips
View over Wastwater lake at night, Cumbria

Things that go click in the night 

In this episode, presenter Jo Dyson heads to the Lake District for a night of camping and stargazing. But when things don’t go to plan, she swaps her tent for a tripod. Jo turns to astrophotographer, Steven Hanna for a masterclass in photography. Listen to discover how you can use your camera to shed light on the secrets of the night.

Please note, this episode was recorded before the government coronavirus restrictions were in place.

Download on Apple Podcasts

Episode 75: Things that go click in the night

Play now

Ranger Iain Gray takes Jo Dyson on a walk in Wasdale, Cumbria

A beginner's guide to winter walking 

Armed with a map, compass and warm flask, presenter Jo Dyson embarks on a walk to experience the remote and barren beauty of the Lake District. Jo meets the Wasdale Mountain Rescue team to learn how to stay safe on a mountain walk and discovers why the winter months are a surprisingly rewarding time to explore the outdoors.

Download on Apple Podcasts

Episode 73: A beginner's guide to winter walking

Play now

Cherry blossom

Bonus episode: A toast to blossom 

As spring approaches and trees across the UK burst into blossom, why not make this special time of year a regular date in your nature calendar? We chat to Andy Beer, author of the new book, Every Day Nature.

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Bonus: A toast to blossom

Play now

Books, a candlestick and a framed photograph on top of a coat rack at the Birmingham Back to Backs

Drama at the Back to Backs 

Britain’s answer to a housing crisis caused by the industrial revolution, Back to Back houses were known for their poor conditions, cramped design and bad sanitation. But what was life really like for the people that lived there? Join us as we take an immersive tour of the last remaining Back to Back houses in the UK.

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Episode 73: Drama at the Back to Backs

Play now

Children enjoying gardening activities in the Kitchen Garden at Osterley Park and House, London

Bonus episode: A promise for nature 

Nature is under threat. So we’re calling on the public to take one small step to protect the natural world. This leap day we’re asking you to make a promise for nature. So how will you use your extra 24 hours to make a difference?

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Bonus: A promise for nature

Play now

Volunteer holding small fragments of plastic found during The Big Beach Clean at Woolacombe, North Devon

Special: Fixing the plastic problem 

Listen to a special episode from our Countryfile Live 2019 podcast. This new series brings you some of the best moments from debates at the BBC’s Countryfile Live event at Blenheim Palace. In this episode, Countryfile presenter Tom Heap and a panel of experts consider how we might fix the plastic problem.

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Episode 72: Special: Fixing the plastic problem

Play now

Lead ranger Duncan Norman gives presenter Lucie Green a tour of Cragside's hydro system

Special: 50% Renewable episode one  

The beginning of this year marks the start of a year-long celebration of the National Trust's 125th anniversary. In this special episode we bring part one from the new podcast series we’re launching on sustainability. The 50% Renewable series explores how we're working towards meeting 50 per cent of our energy needs from renewable sources by 2021.

Download on Apple Podcasts

Episode 71: Special: 50% renewable episode one

Play now

Close up of inscription on Spinet by John Hancock, London, at Fenton House in London

Musical time machines 

Tucked away in London, the Benton Fetcher Collection at Fenton House and Garden is a rare treasure that boasts restored and working early keyboard instruments – some of which are nearly 500 years old. Guided by the Keeper of Instruments, National Trust curator, James Grasby is transported to our musical past and learns what it takes to preserve these exquisite instruments and their unique sounds.

Download on Apple Podcasts

Episode 70: Musical time machines

Play now

Download from Soundcloud
Wild swimming

Wild swimming at 'Miami Beach' 

As winter approaches, the hardiest swimmers still enjoy an invigorating splash in wild places. In this episode, Coastal Officer Kate Martin heads to Carding Mill Valley where she’s introduced to the Shropshire Wild Swimmers and Dippers. She’s challenged to a refreshing dip and discovers how open waters bring a sense of freedom to your mind, body and soul.

Listen now on Apple podcasts

Episode 69: Wild swimming at 'Miami Beach'

Play now

Sensory walker Julian Jackson with National Trust coastal officer Kate Martin

A lesson in sensory walking 

Time spent in the great outdoors can be an immersive experience. But how often do we stop and take the time to really absorb the sounds, touch and feel of nature? Walker, Julian Jackson senses things differently to most people. In this episode, he shows us how to create a deeper connection with the natural world.

Download on Apple Podcasts

Episode 68: A lesson in sensory walking

Play now

Exploring the darker side of Little Moreton Hall, Cheshire

Halloween special: The secrets in the walls 

In this Halloween special, curator James Grasby visits 500-year old Little Moreton Hall in Cheshire, to find out how the Tudors protected their homes against evil. James meets house staff who reveal strange relics of our past. And he comes face to face with a mystery that astonishingly lay hidden in plain sight for centuries – until someone looked closer.

Download on Apple Podcasts

Episode 67: Halloween special: The secrets in the walls

Play now

“Buggy walkers” Jo and Rachel get to grips with new challenges at Stourhead, Wiltshire

Adventures in motherhood 

The places we care for give you quality time with the people you love and the chance to forge new friendships. In this episode we follow Joanna and Rachel, two mothers that met at a charity-run buggy walking group at Stourhead in Wiltshire, as they embark on one of the National Trust’s most unique adventures.

Download on Apple Podcasts

Episode 66: Adventures in motherhood

Play now

Professional tree climber James Aldred with presenter Jo Dyson

The secret world of treetops 

Taking time away from his expeditions to the Amazon, professional tree climber James Aldred leads presenter Jo Dyson on a treetop adventure in the slightly less exotic garden at Tyntesfield in Somerset. Jo realises that tree climbing is not just for kids and discovers that we're all more connected to trees than we might think.

Download on Apple Podcasts

Episode 65: The secret world of treetops

Play now

Dr Eleanor Rosamund Barraclough and our coastal projects manager Daniel Leggett explore Northey Island

Special: People's Landscapes episode one 

In this special episode we bring you part one of our People’s Landscapes podcast series. It’s Northey Island, 991 AD. Viking raiders clash in bloody battle with the Anglo-Saxon army defending their land. Dr Eleanor Barraclough, lecturer in medieval history at Durham University, explores how this violent incident resulted in a mashup of cultures we can still see today.

Download on Apple Podcasts

Episode 64: Special: People's Landscapes episode one

Play now

Richard Williams, Illuminations Manager at Lightworks with National Trust curator James Grasby

The heritage question 

As many of the places in our care open their doors for the Heritage Open Days festival – an annual event celebrating history, architecture, and culture – we head to Blackpool to explore what heritage means to us all. National Trust curator James Grasby goes behind the scenes to witness the thrill of the Blackpool Illuminations – a spectacle that’s firmly rooted in the past but continues to shape attitudes towards cultural heritage today.

Download from Apple Podcasts

Episode 63: The heritage question

Play now

Recording the National Trust Podcast at Divis & The Black Mountain, Northern Ireland

Listen back to series three 

In series three of the National Trust Podcast, we battled the elements at Divis Mountain in North Wales, visited the top secret Plant Conservation Centre, explored the Beatles' childhood homes, and much, much more. Listen back to all twelve episodes from the series.

Listen to series three
Listen to all episodes

Google Podcasts

Stream our podcast episodes

Listen on Google Podcasts

Spotify

Stream our podcast episodes

Listen on Spotify

Apple Podcasts

Stream our podcast episodes

Listen on Apple Podcasts