Chris Skinner's Countryside Podcasts
Nature, Wildlife and Countryside Living with Chris Skinner from High Ash Farm
Chris Skinner, a Norfolk farmer, takes a unique approach to farming, prioritizing biodiversity and wildlife conservation in every practice.
Tune in every Sunday morning as Chris, alongside broadcaster Matthew Gudgin, explores topics on nature, wildlife, and rural life.
Join them for strolls through High Ash Farm and beyond, spotting wildlife and addressing your queries about the natural world.
Email questions for Chris to answer to Chris@highashfarm.com
Episodes
119 episodes
Episode 2.53 - Gull Glides and Tit Troupes
In the crisp dawn of a new year at High Ash Farm, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin usher in 2026 with the aerial spectacle of black-headed gulls wheeling westward in V-formations, drawn to ploughed fields teeming with worms, while a muntjac dee...
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45:09
Episode 2.52 - Urban Arias and Flocking Festivities
As the year draws to a close under grey December skies at High Ash Farm, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin embark on a twilight quest that uncovers unexpected melodies amid urban clamour—a robin serenading from a floodlit supermarket car park in...
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44:50
Episode 2.51 - Solar Shadows and Solstice Songs
In a festive yet contemplative midwinter visit to High Ash Farm, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin mark the approach of the shortest day with reflections on renewable energy's double-edged sword. Amid the bustling farmyard, tales of a bygone win...
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38:17
Episode 2.50 - Cannon-Seeded Conifers and Winter Warmth
In the mild glow of a mid-December morning at High Ash Farm, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin bask in unseasonably warm skies, where a jay's loping flight heralds a day of countryside revelations. Amidst the lingering half-moon and sun-kissed f...
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45:10
Episode 2.49 - Inside the Hornet Cathedral & the Poisonous Yew
Join Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin on a frosty early-December morning as they squeeze inside a 350-year-old hollow oak to stand beneath Britain’s largest wasp species’ abandoned hornet palace – a two-foot-tall paper cathedral of perfect hexa...
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56:01
Episode 2.48 - Bombs, Bootlaces and Winter Orchids
Join Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin on a crisp, overcast late-November morning in Fox’s Grove as the last leaves carpet the woodland floor and light floods in for the first time since spring. Stand beside the old ash tree that still bears the...
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43:55
Episode 2.47 - Sluice Secrets and Jelly Jiggles
Join Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin on a crisp November morning venturing to Lakenham Mill on Norwich's outskirts, exploring the historic River Yare's controlled sluices, ancient mill wheels, and granaries that once ground local grains, amid ...
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39:11
Episode 2.46 - Pathways to the Past and Countryside Connections
Join Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin on a breezy mid-November morning at High Ash Farm, strolling along Boudica Way—a historic public footpath turned wide, welcoming trail—amid discussions on evolving access to the countryside, from ancient wo...
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45:14
Episode 2.45 - Teasel Treasures and Skylark Symphonies
Join Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin on a mild mid-November morning at High Ash Farm, where autumn's unsettled chill stirs flocks of goldfinches into a dazzling display amid teasel heads and thistle margins, their yellow wing bars flashing as ...
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41:22
Episode 2.44 - Nocturnal Newts and Hare Havens
Join Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin on a damp November evening at High Ash Farm for a nocturnal safari, starting in the bustling farmyard where torchlight reveals smooth newts feasting on wriggling worms amid leaf litter, their amphibian live...
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54:47
Episode 2.43 - Stormy Sheds and Soil Secrets
Join Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin on a blustery, rain-lashed Thursday morning at High Ash Farm amid Storm Benjamin's gales, retreating into the vast farm workshop where gleaming tractors, mowers, sprayers, and cultivators—worth fortunes in ...
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47:56
Episode 2.42 - Mousy Mysteries and Nesting Wonders
Join Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin on a crisp mid-October morning at High Ash Farm, where autumn's gentle bite scatters colourful leaves across the woodland floor and Rat the terrier digs with unbridled enthusiasm. Venture into the bustling ...
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47:56
Episode 2.41 - Colourful Canopies and Shaggy Surprises
Join Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin on a mild mid-October morning at High Ash Farm, where Rat scampers ahead amid grey skies and the vibrant blaze of autumn foliage—Norway maples glowing with reds and oranges from flavonoids and carotenoids, ...
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50:54
Episode 2.40 - Meandering Meadows and Goldcrest Glimpses
Join Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin on a crisp October morning for an away day to the serene Forncett St Peter Low Meadows, an SSSI beside the River Tas, where frost lingers and fog clears to reveal plans for re-wiggling the river—restoring a...
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40:47
Episode 2.39 - Foxtail Surprises and Kestrel Chases
Join Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin on a changeable September morning at High Ash Farm, where Rat eagerly explores hedgerows amid fleeting showers and sunshine. Discover the unexpected dominance of yellow foxtail in the overwinter wild bird s...
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43:29
Episode 2.38 - Nocturnal Flights and Honeyed Hives
Join Chris Skinner for a twilight woodland wander at High Ash Farm, where the evening air hums with pipistrelle bats darting acrobatically overhead, serotines weaving through the canopy, and noctules launching into the dusk—accompanied by the r...
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52:30
Episode 2.37 - Sulphur Glows and Swallow Farewells
Join Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin on a crisp September morning at High Ash Farm, where the farmyard's ancient oak hosts a luminous display of sulphur polypore—known as chicken of the woods—its vibrant, edible brackets spilling like molten g...
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44:07
Episode 2.36 - Hawkbit Bites and Tree Tombs
In this captivating episode of the Countryside Podcasts, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin wander through High Ash Farm’s breezy late August pastures, where September’s dawn heralds autumn’s subtle arrival. Autumn hawkbit carpets the hillside wi...
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41:52
Episode 2.35 - Lakeside Moults and Orchard Opulence
Join Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin on a sun-drenched late August morning at High Ash Farm in the Norfolk countryside. This episode explores the serene beauty of the farm’s lake, where a majestic young mute swan is moulting amid darting swall...
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52:48
Episode 2.34 - Grey Ghosts and Autumn Winds
In this breezy episode of the Countryside Podcasts, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin confront August’s slate-grey skies at High Ash Farm, where autumn’s approach stirs poignant reflections. The grey partridge, a red-listed farmland icon, haunts...
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45:00
Episode 2.33 - Finch Flocks and Clouded Wings
In this breezy episode of the Countryside Podcasts, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin witness High Ash Farm’s summer crescendo, where flocks take flight. Mixed groups of goldfinches and linnets—up to 250 strong—swarm over chicory fields, their s...
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39:48
Episode 2.32 - Sloes and Stings A Wild Farewell
In this gusty episode of the Countryside Podcasts, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin embrace August’s wild turn at High Ash Farm, where autumn whispers through the breeze. Rowan trees (mountain ash) dazzle with orange-red berries, a thrush feast...
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47:10
Episode 2.31 - Swallow Flights and Flaxen Fields
In this tender episode of the Countryside Podcasts, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin greet August’s first whispers at High Ash Farm, where summer fades into autumn’s embrace. Migratory swallows—juveniles from the north—sweep overhead in chatter...
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38:46
Episode 2.30 - Burnet Wings and Knapweed Crowns
In this vibrant episode of the Countryside Podcasts, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin revel in a glorious late July morning at High Ash Farm, where nature dons its finest. Over a purple knapweed sea—its hard heads buzzing with bees—six-spot bur...
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44:28
Episode 2.29 - Bluebell Seeds and Bindweed Bells
In this captivating episode of the Countryside Podcasts, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin explore High Ash Farm amid its third heatwave, where nature’s cycle thrives. In Fox’s Grove, bluebell stalks release shiny black seeds, their retractile r...
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50:45