This Sunday, Countryfile trades in its usual bucolic wanderings for a trip to Romney Marsh, a landscape less rolling hills and more… well, marsh. But don’t let the name fool you. This unique corner of Kent, with its expansive skies, sprawling wetlands, and stark shingle beaches, offers a different kind of beauty, one that Countryfile aims to capture in its latest outing. Prepare for a bracing dose of coastal air, a flock of Romney sheep, and some strangely compelling concrete structures.
While the average viewer might associate winter with cozy fires and festive cheer, Countryfile ventures out into the elements, focusing on the hardy souls who call Romney Marsh home. Margherita Taylor joins the RSPB team at Dungeness, the largest shingle headland in Europe, in their efforts to safeguard nesting birds. She also investigates the area’s curious sound mirrors, relics of a pre-radar era, offering a glimpse into Britain’s wartime defenses.
Meanwhile, Matt Baker immerses himself in the life of a sixth-generation farming family and their Romney sheep. Expect picturesque shots of woolly ruminants and earnest conversations about the challenges and triumphs of maintaining agricultural traditions in a rapidly changing world. And because no trip to the countryside is complete without a touch of local artistry, the program also features an artist whose inspiration comes from Dungeness’ distinctive shingle beach.
Elsewhere, away from the marsh, Adam Henson reports from the slightly more urban setting of Glasgow, where he’ll announce the Countryfile Young Countryside Champion at the BBC Food and Farming Awards 2024. While the glitz and glamour of an awards ceremony might seem a far cry from the quiet solitude of Romney Marsh, it serves as a crucial reminder of the importance of celebrating and supporting the individuals who dedicate themselves to preserving Britain’s rural heritage.
Countryfile airs this Sunday on BBC One at 5:20 PM.
