Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Episode 1

John Craven and the team with interesting stories of the season. John enjoys the splendour of Osborne House, and Paul Martin discovers how to create a perfect garden hideaway.

Every day this week, John Craven and the Countryfile Diaries team - Keeley Donovan, Jules Hudson, Paul Martin, and Margherita Taylor - bring you the most interesting stories of the season.

To kick off the series, John enjoys the splendour of Osborne House, Queen Victoria and Albert's seaside palace on the Isle of Wight. Meanwhile, Keeley meets the team searching for natural solutions to a pesky invasive plant species that are a headache to homeowners and cost the UK economy £1.7 billion. Joe Crowley investigates what dry summer weather means for our wildlife, rivers and our water supplies. Greg McKenzie gets stuck into one of the more unusual events put on by our heritage sites to keep us visiting all summer long. We'll be giving you some of our Countryfile top picks if you fancy getting out for a coastal walk this season. And Paul discovers how you can create your perfect garden hideaway.

44 minutes

Last on

Mon 26 Aug 2019 09:15

More episodes

Previous

You are at the first episode

See all episodes from Countryfile Summer Diaries

Music Played

  • George Frideric Handel

    Music for the Royal Fireworks: 4th Movement - Rejouissance

  • Paul Hardcastle

    The Wizzard

  • Muse

    The Orion Arm

Thuggish Plants

Thuggish Plants

Invasive plant species cost the UK £1.7 billion a year - they could even cost you your home. Keeley Donovan is discovering how our scientists at CABI (Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International) have been working to find natural solutions to these pernicious pesky plants.

To find out more click

Water Shortages

After the driest Winter and Spring on record, the UK is facing major water shortages this Summer. Joe meets the fishers and farmers who are already feeling the effect, and finds out what we need to do to tackle the problem before our rivers dry up completely.

Roman Vineyard

Roman Vineyard
The small village of Brading on the east of the island is a remarkable plot.  Wine grower Russell Broughton owns one of the UK’s longest running vineyards, experimenting with different grape varieties, including a black grape more commonly found in tropical Asian countries.  Anita Rani joins Russell as he begins the harvesting of these grapes and then pops next door to to one of the finest Roman sites in the UK with its own wine-making history. 

Jousting

Greg Mackenzie’s turning king of the castle to find out the lengths our heritage sites will go to, to tempt us in this season.

Heritage Huts

Heritage Huts

Paul’s finding out what you can and can’t build in your garden without permission, from tree houses to garden offices. And if you’ve got your eye on a shepherd’s hut as a handy spare room, Paul’s meeting a man who’s preserving these little pieces of history using heritage tools. 

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter John Craven
Presenter Keeley Donovan
Presenter Paul Martin
Presenter Joe Crowley
Presenter Greg McKenzie
Series Producer Rebecca Nunn
Executive Producer William Lyons

Broadcasts