Ramblings 3e5r1g

David Almond marks 25 years of his extraordinary book, Skellig, with a walk from Seahouses to Bamburgh in Northumberland. As he tells Clare, it's a landscape that has long inspired his imagination and writing. Skellig tells the tale of Michael, a young boy who befriends a magical creature - part owl, part angel – that needs Michael’s help to survive. The book has won multiple awards, been adapted for stage, film, radio and opera and translated into 40 languages. As they walk, David tells Clare how his childhood in the north-east shaped both his character and writing, and discusses why walking is a necessary pleasure. The stretch of coastline they’re exploring is rich with historical, religious and cultural significance and the entire region has provided inspiration for David’s writing over the years. They met at Seahouses Harbour and walked through sun, rain and wind to the most dominant man-made feature in the area - Bamburgh Castle. Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Clare walks to a glorious display of bluebells to capture them in watercolour in the company of artist Shelly Perkins. On a beautiful day in mid-May they set off into Mortimer Forest near Ludlow to find several acres of bluebells that stretch across high meadlowland. Shelly is an artist and while Clare is not known for her painting prowess, they take a moment to stop, take in the bluey purply haze and capture it in vivid watercolours en plein air. Clare and Shelly met at the Black Pool Car Park and hiked a roughly five mile circular loop through a conifer plantation, into open hay meadow with skylarks hovering overhead, and then onto a huge field full of bluebells. You can see their artwork on the Ramblings instagram page: @bbcramblings Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

In the second of two walks in the Republic of Ireland, Clare meets rock climber, mountain instructor and walking guide, Iain Miller, to explore a stretch of the wild, rugged and spectacular Atlantic coastline of County Donegal. They meet at what Iain describes as the most remote place in Ireland, An Port, and the route they take from there affords them views over what he says is Ireland’s last great wilderness including some ‘monster’ sea stacks. Iain is originally from Scotland, but has lived in Co. Donegal for years, making it his place of work as well as his – as he puts it – playground. The two are intertwined as Iain’s business involves leading rock climbing, hillwalking, and other outdoor adventures. The route he shares with Clare is more gentle coastal stroll than vertiginous technical climb but the experience and views are no less impressive. If you want to look at their location on a map, they met here: WhatThreeWords: ///simplicity.school.escalates Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

When author Annabel Abbs suffered a series of bereavements she found herself unable to sleep. Eventually she began getting up and walking around her garden and neighbouring fields around 3am. But when she heard about Caroline Whiteman who runs guided walks at night without head torches, she just had to go along on one. Caroline began the walks as an experiment in overcoming her fear of the dark. She has found other people keen to get out at night and experience the dark in a totally different way under her care and supervision. Although Clare is walking on a winter's night with barely any moon visible it's amazing how quickly the landscape lights up and the chalk cliffs stand out against the sea. They walked in a loop starting and ending at South Hill Barn Car Park BN25 4JQ near Seaford Producer: Maggie Ayre

Nadeem Perera is not your conventional image of a birdwatcher. In fact growing up in inner city London he was not raised as or encouraged to be a 'nature boy'. But dropping out of school as a troubled teen he had a revelation. One day he was sitting in woodland and saw a green spotted woodpecker in front of him and his ion for birds was born. Now he can be seen on BBC 1 on the One Show talking about birds and has moved to Bristol to further his career in wildlife presenting. He takes Clare for a walk along the River Frome starting in Eastville Park. It's a grey Winter's day but they are overjoyed to be accompanied along the river by kingfishers lighting up the landscape. Along the way he talks about the project he runs called Flock Together and about his ion for combining young people of colour with the outdoors and nature. They walk from Eastville Park to Snuff Mills and the Stoke Park Estate Producer: Maggie Ayre

The beautiful Borders of Scotland is the location for Clare’s walk this week. She’s exploring the area around Innerleithen with Stewart Wilson. After a career in finance Stewart made a handbrake turn in his early 40s and became a tour guide and travel blogger. He says most visitors to Scotland by the Borders for Edinburgh or the Highlands and Islands but – in doing so – are missing out on gorgeous scenery and fascinating history. So today Stewart wants to share what it is about the Borders, and Innerleithen in particular, that should make people want to stop and explore. He grew up there in a family who, for generations, had worked in the textile industry. It’s a sector that has all but disappeared, apart from a few high-end makers, so the area has to try and develop a new identity. History, mountain biking, and of course hiking are all a draw, including the challenging long distance Southern Upland Way which es nearby. Stewart begins today’s walk at Innerleithen Parish Church on Leithen Road. From there he then leads Clare over Leithen Water at Cuddy Bridge and, after a couple of stiff climbs through a forestry plantation with trees creaking in the wind, arrives at the disused relic of Kirnie Law reservoir. It's a great view point, which thanks to the rainy, sunny, sleety weather, created a full rainbow over the heathery hills beyond. It's a circular route that takes them back down to Innerleithen, just over five miles in total. Producer: Karen Gregor Presenter: Clare Balding

Clare s Hannah Engelkamp and her donkey, Chico, for a ramble in the Dyfi Valley a few miles east of Machynlleth in Powys. On the way Hannah tells Clare about the extraordinary adventure she shared with Chico when they walked 1000 miles around the perimeter of Wales. She did this despite having no previous experience of donkeys, or horses, or any animals really. It took twice as long as she intended and was much harder than she ever imagined. The idea of 'carrot or stick' doesn't work, Hannah says, so the first thing she learned was when a donkey stops you just have to wait and stand and look and wait until the moment seems right to move off again. Hannah also tells Clare about her involvement with 'Slow Ways'. It’s a Community Interest Company whose aim is to map, improve, and promote walking routes between Britain’s towns, cities and villages. Clare and Hannah met at Grid Ref: SH 850 027, and walked a section of a Slow Way known as ‘Maccar One’ near Chico’s home at Dyfi Donkey Woods. Maccar One is 23 miles long and connects Machynlleth with Carno. Slow Ways are named for the first three letters of the place at either end of a route e.g. Mac for Machynlleth and Car for Carno. Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

A cliff edge walk at St. David's in Pembrokeshire with artists Jackie Morris and Tamsin Abbott who are creating a book of illuminated folk stories. Jackie is writing the words and Tamsin is creating original pieces of stained glass for the book's artwork. Jackie is an artist and writer possibly best known for her illustrations in The Lost Words, a large and beautiful book about language and nature. Tamsin is an established stained glass artist and illustrator inspired by the natural world. As they ramble along the coast, Clare hears about their new project - Wild Folk: Tales from the Stones - seven ‘fables of transformation and power summoned from the ancient stones beneath our feet’. Inhabiting the pages are selkies and salmon, a great white raven, a huge black fox and a woman who lives as an owl. Wild Folk doesn’t exist quite yet… It’s being crowd-funded and will be available in 2025. They began their walk at Whitesands carpark and walked cliff-side towards the Coetan Arthur burial chamber on St. David's Head. Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Clare s PE Teacher Julie Ford for a bracing walk on the Seven Sisters near Eastbourne. It's a walk with a difference. Following a brush with breast cancer Julie was keen to keep fit but no longer wanted to go to the gym. As a ionate walker she was getting good exercise but needed to maintain her upper body strength. So through a process of trial and error Julie has created a way of walking with resistance bands. She takes Clare on a walk on the South Downs on a beautiful sunny Winter's day to show her how to tone her arms while she walks as well as to appreciate health and fitness in the outdoors. Producer: Maggie Ayre

A joyful hike up Castle Hill near Huddersfield with We In Front, an inspirational group of walkers. Leading the way is Errol Hamlet who, having retired, felt bored, unhealthy and wanted a new challenge. He spotted a neighbour out walking during the pandemic and decided to her. Then, one by one, more people ed until they eventually had a decent sized group. Most are senior citizens from the local West Indian community and they can often be heard singing as they disappear into the countryside surrounding Huddersfield. As they walk Clare hears about Carriacou, the Caribbean island where nine of the walkers spent at least some of their childhood. Apparently everyone on that island knows someone in Huddersfield... the two places are closely linked. There's also an unexpected conversation about the niche hobby of bottle-top collecting... The group started today's walk at grid reference SE155152 from where they followed a circuitous route up to Castle Hill. Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Clare chooses some favourite moments from her Ramblings year: brothers Manni and Reuben Coe who amble down to Hive Beach in Dorset on a calm summer's day. On the way they recall the emotional story of how Reuben, who has Down's Syndrome, was nurtured back to health partly by walking that very route. Head to Orkney where Clare battles 60mph winds in one of the wildest episodes we've yet recorded. Hike up Shutlingsloe with Frank Milner, in training to climb Kilimanjaro on his 82nd birthday. Hear David and Iain recall some youthful misadventures as they stroll along the cliffs towards Portpatrick on the remote Rhins of Galloway. And meet Sam and Roger by the waterfall in south Wales where their romance began thanks to an online walking group. Boff Whalley of Chumbawamba leads his Commoners Choir in song as they march up to Gaddings Dam in Calderdale. On the Thames Path, Tina and Cas share how their adopted son's way of coping with the world is by long distance hiking. The inspirational Halifax Hikers lead Clare on their favourite local route. And Ali Allen, in Herefordshire, takes time out from running her tiny walking shop to march with Clare up to a section of the Offa's Dyke footpath. Please scroll down to the 'related links' box on the Ramblings page of the Radio 4 website for links to all these individual episodes. Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

In 2019 Anita Sethi was on a trans Pennine train journey when she was racially abused by a man who later pleaded guilty to the offence. During the attack he told her to go back to where she belonged. Having been born and raised in Manchester Anita feels very strongly that the North of England is where she belongs and as a way of working through the shock and trauma of the incident she began a journey through the Pennines on foot beginning at the uplifting and positively named Hope in the Peak District. Clare s her for a hike in the steep countryside to Edale taking in Mam Tor and Kinder Scout. Producer: Maggie Ayre

Rose Mac moved to the North West from London a year ago and is constantly delighted by the nature and walking possibilities of her new home. Ainsdale Nature Reserve houses a rare species of sand lizard as well as natterjack toads. A walk through the pine woodland close to the town's railway station brings you out into beautiful sand dunes and a massive expanse of beach with views of Blackpool Tower to the North and on a clear day the Isle of Man to the west. Rose enthusiastically shows Clare her new home territory and gives her an impromptu boxing lesson on Ainsdale Beach. She says people are becoming increasingly drawn to exercising on UK beaches. Tai chi and yoga work particularly well outdoors and Rose says there's something magical about watching the sunset whilst exercising. The long walk along the beach is a workout in itself because of the sand underfoot. Producer: Maggie Ayre

Clare walks with Mike Gunton, the man in charge of Planet Earth III, another blockbuster series from the BBC’s Natural History Unit. Mike’s a ionate walker and he takes Clare on a favourite local route around Oldbury on Severn where he courted his wife, and once filmed a sequence in a graveyard about the grim sounding ‘burying beetle’. He also shares stories of his many years working with Sir David Attenborough, and what it’s like making some of the most beautiful and memorable TV shows of recent years. Oldbury on Severn is, as it sounds, near the banks of the longest river in the UK which runs 220 miles from its source in the Cambrian Mountains in mid-Wales to where it meets the sea at the Bristol channel. They meet at St. Arilda's Church and head off on a circular walk of around five miles ending back in the village, at the local pub. Map: OS Explorer 167 Thornbury, Dursley and Yate Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

On a beautiful late summer's day Clare and guests explore a coastal walk on a remote peninsula in southern Scotland - the Rhins of Galloway. Walking with her are Peter Ross, who runs a walking for health group, and Margaret Hughes who is one of the . They start their hike in Portpatrick and head along the coast for a few miles before dropping down into Sandeel Bay and returning to Portpatrick on an inland path through woodland. Margaret is ed blind due to an acquired brain injury, and has had a tough time recovering. Walking is a huge part of her life, and Peter’s group plays a significant part in this especially as Margaret needs a sighted guide to help her along the way. This is the second of two walks on the Rhins of Galloway: last week's episode was with two friends who are taking what could be the longest, slowest route between Land's End and John O'Groats. Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Clare s two friends on what could possibly be the slowest walk between Land's End and John O'Groats. Hiking one week at a time (with a gap of several years when the Welsh coastline wasn't fully navigable) it's taken Iain McHenry and David Rowe 18 years to reach the coast of Dumfries and Galloway. That's where Clare s them, on a beautifully sunny day, as they approach the village of Portpatrick on the remote Rhins of Galloway. This is the first of two episodes recorded in the area: next week Margaret Hughes and Peter Ross take Clare on a section of the Southern Upland Way, starting in Portpatrick and heading north. Producer: Karen Gregor Presenter: Clare Balding

Sunshine and summer downpours on a hilly Cheshire hike with great views. On the way Clare hears from two friends about how walking has helped them cope with life changing events. Linda Ashworth only discovered walking after her children left home but it became a stress-relieving necessity when her husband suffered a serious accident. Her love of putting one foot in front of the other grew to such an extent that she went onto gain hill and moorland leadership qualifications and set up a business leading walks for ‘ladies of my age’. Tracey was diagnosed, age 40, with acute myeloid leukaemia. The treatment, she says, 'turned my bones to sugar' and she broke her back in five places. This left her unable to walk properly for years, relying on a mobility scooter to get her into the countryside. However, as she slowly recovered, she discovered rambling was a good way to rebuild strength, balance and coordination. To mark her 50th year she went with a group of ive friends and family on a celebratory three day hike around the Lake District. Linda led the way. For today’s walk, Linda and Tracey take Clare along a section of the Sandstone Trail. It’s a 34 mile long route stretching from Frodsham in Cheshire to Whitchurch just over the Shropshire border. They started at grid ref SJ494526 and headed north. The map they used: OS 257 Crewe and Nantwich. Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Ali Allen takes Clare for a sunny hike just outside Kington, a town she would like to be renamed 'WalKington' because it's such a magnet for ramblers. Ali runs a tiny walking shop where her dog, Roo, keeps a look out from the window display full of boots and socks and maps. She lived in Utah for thirty years, working as a nurse, but returned six years ago with no firm plan. Somehow she landed in the tiny town of Kington in Herefordshire where she opened her shop which now has a B&B above it, mostly serving ramblers trekking along Offa's Dyke. On today's walk she leads Clare up Bradnor Hill - crossing the highest 18 hole golf course in England - and onto a stretch of Offa's Dyke. On the way she shares her story of life and love in Utah, making a home back in the UK, and coping with rheumatoid arthritis which, despite the problems it causes, doesn't stop her outdoor adventures. The starting grid reference is SO297566

Clare s a group of friends as they climb Shutlingsloe as part of their preparation for the much bigger adventure of trekking up Kilimanjaro later this year. Known as the 'Matterhorn of the Peak District' Shutlingsloe is around 500 metres high, where Kilimanjaro is closer to 6000 metres, but it's not a bad training ground with its steep incline as well as the reward of beautiful views from the top. Leading the group is former Royal Engineer, Sean Milner, who has arranged the Kilimanjaro trek for his adventurer father, Frank Milner, who plans to reach the summit on his 82nd birthday. Although unable to the Ramblings hike, also going up Kilimanjaro will be two of Frank's grandsons, making it a three generation event. The starting grid reference for today's walk is SJ 952 715 which is just by the Leather's Smithy pub in Langley, about 15 mins drive from Macclesfield. Producer: Karen Gregor

Martin Hügi is taking an unconventional approach to his long distance hike from Land's End to John O’Groats. He’s planned the route so he can visit as many ancient and veteran trees as possible. It’s a busman’s holiday as his day job is with the Woodland Trust and it's their Ancient Tree Inventory, created in collaboration with the Ancient Tree Forum and the Tree , that he’s using to guide him. He’s taken a four month sabbatical from work and Clare is ing him in the early stages of his trek near Marlborough in Wiltshire. Producer: Karen Gregor