CATEGORIES

TOP 10 BEAUTIFUL WALKING TRAILS

Planning a major hike this year? We reveal the UK's most beautiful long-distance paths to explore in 2025

Free to feel good

We know time outdoors makes you feel better, but if you have a disability, getting out there isn't always easy. That's why charities like the Calvert Trust aim to give everyone the freedom of the countryside.

Vanishing fog

As new findings suggest fog may be disappearing from our world, Fergus Collins meets fog chaser Laura Pashby who treasures its power to transform landscapes - and ourselves

Smithfield's closure will be the end of an era, but it still has a future

What connects the great Victorian novelist Charles Dickens, the comedy actor TerryThomas and a branch of the Henson family?

Electric dreams

Could this new cycling route in the Shropshire Hills become a star of Britain's bikepacking scene? Matt Baird mounts an electric bike to navigate the hills, thrills and basilicas of the Marcher Castles Way

Up on the roof

Thatched roofs have been a part of the British countryside for 5,000 years. Tom Allan is one of a dwindling number of craftspeople making sure this ancient tradition remains a vital part of our rural life.

Sniffer dogs and tiny loos - the fight to save water voles gets serious

What do you do to discover how a much-loved but fast declining and elusive mammal is faring in its battle for survival along our rivers, streams and ditches? First, recruit hundreds of volunteers for look-out duties. Then call in specially trained detector dogs and build tiny floating loos.

RSPB WARNS AGAINST USING FLAT BIRD FEEDERS

The RSPB is reviewing its bird-feeder products over growing concerns about the spread of disease among garden birds

ANCIENT CORNWALL

England's wild far-western shores are scattered with mysterious ancient sites. Melanie O'Shea walks you back through time to the Celtic roots of Cornwall's ruggedly beautiful West Penwith peninsula

Famous terrier breeds

Despite their naturally combative nature, terriers make great pets, with most breeds described as affectionate, friendly, loyal or playful - or a mix of them all. James Fair details six key breeds

NATIONAL TRUST LAUNCHES BOLD NEW STRATEGIES

In a response to the nature crisis, The National Trust announces an ambitious 10-year action plan on its 130th birthday

TOP 10 REMOTE PLACES IN THE UK

There's something aweinspiring about a place that's remained untamed. Dixe Wills picks his favourite wild sites

Pub closures and fewer hops leave UK brewers in a fight for survival

Fancy a pint?

Will a new national trail provide better access to nature?

Before sitting down to write this I went for a brisk walk along a public footpath at the edge of my village and felt much better for it.

BRITAIN'S 'ROYAL FISH' ON THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION

Urgent conservation action is required if we're to save the sturgeon from disappearing from UK waters, say experts

STRATEGIC TREE PLANTING TAKES ROOT

New agroforestry guide helps farmers meet environmental goals

Coalition of the willing

Growing a rainforest takes time, ingenuity and passion.Oh, and a bit of dragon skin. Danny Graham meets the people fighting to save Scotland's rare habitats

Noticing nature daily can help us understand ourselves and the world

For over 120 years, The Guardian's Country Diary has delivered a daily portrait of an intimate view of the countryside (or nature, wherever we find it) from across Britain.

“WITCHES MARKS’ FOUND AT MEDIEVAL MANOR HOUSE

The staggering” number of carved rituals elevates 15th-century Gainsborough Old Hall to one of Britain’s spookiest buildings

Poison on your pooch?

You want to protect your dog from fleas and ticks, but the treatments may be contaminating our rivers, say scientists. James Fair looks at the best ways to fight parasites, for both pets and planet

RARE ROMAN KNIFE HANDLE DISCOVERED AT HADRIAN’S WALL

Find in the River Tyne in Northumberland proves celebrity cult’ of gladiators, say experts

Banish the winter blues

Overcome by annual anxiety, Helen Moat set out on a quest to dispel her low winter mood. Via Lapland, Japan and Britain's remote and rugged landscapes, she discovers how nature itself has the answers

In troubled waters

A mass die-off of over one million salmon at a Scottish fish farm last year had many questioning the health of the industry. James Fair asks what the future holds for both fish farmers and consumers

The forgotten valley

In the heart of England, find a lost world straight out of storybooks, where castles, medieval manor houses and ancient inns await. Tim Relf takes a wander in the Welland Valley

Guilt-Free Meat? - Should the world stop eating meat to tackle the climate crisis? Chris Baraniuk meets an experimental farmer who says we don't all have to become vegetarians

Should the world stop eating meat to tackle the climate crisis? Chris Baraniuk meets an experimental farmer who says we don't all have to become vegetarians. Livestock farming around the world is facing scrutiny because of its greenhouse gas emissions. Globally, the sector contributes somewhere between 11.1% and 19.6% of total emissions. Meat production is roughly twice as bad as the production of plant-based food, according to some analyses. And beef is the worst of all. Study after study has suggested that, in order to curtail the devastating effects of climate change, we ought to shift to a diet containing less meat - or even go vegetarian or vegan.

Discover Cider Country - Explore mellow golden countryside, pedalling between medieval villages, historic inns and fruitful orchards, on a delightful Herefordshire Cider Circuit adventure with Julie Brominicks

Explore mellow golden countryside, pedalling between medieval villages, historic inns and fruitful orchards, on a delightful Herefordshire Cider Circuit adventure with Julie Brominicks. I'm cycling Porter's Perfection, one of three cider circuits developed for Visit Herefordshire over the past few years. Each showcases a section of this bucolic county's loveliest villages, pubs, orchards and cidermakers via lanes suited to bicycles - e-bikes for hill-averse cyclists like me. The idea is to allow you to appreciate the sights, sounds and smells of cider country while traversing roads never meant for modern cars. If you have dodgy knees, or are keen to indulge in the local adult apple juice as you go (remember, it's illegal to cycle while under the influence), Visit Herefordshire also promotes cider bus routes.

TOP 10 WILD AUTUMN FOODS

Make the most of seasonal abundance with foraging tips and recipe ideas from wild food expert Liz Knight

The taste of England

Amid pastures farmed by her family for more than four centuries, Mary Quicke is reviving forgotten dairy traditions to produce delicious Devon cheeses

How to eat 30 plants a week

As science proves the many health-boosting benefits of eating at least 30 different plants each week, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall shares recipes to help you meet the magic target

RARE RAFT SPIDER MAKES A COMEBACK

Thanks to dedicated conservation work, this impressive but vulnerable arachnid is resurgent in East Anglia