National Trust

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Channel • 4 Shows

Nature

Nature

Updated Apr 15
History

History

Updated Biweekly
Nature

Nature

Updated Bimonthly
Stories for Kids

Stories for Kids

Updated 2025-10-22

APR 15

The Dinosaur in the Cliff

Ever hunted for fossils on a beach and felt like you might actually find something? Rosie heads to the Isle of Wight to the scene of the most complete dinosaur discovery in the UK in a hundred years. She’s joined by Dr Jeremy Lockwood, part of the original dig team and now casually known as a “namer of dinosaurs,” as they retrace how this once‑buried giant came back into the light. Production: Host: Rosie Holdsworth Producer: Claire Hickinbotham Sound Recordist: Nikki Ruck Sound Designer: Jesus Gomez With thanks to Dr Jeremy Lockwood Rosie and Jeremy went for the dinosaur walk at Compton Bay and Downs | Isle of Wight | National Trust They parked at Compton car parking information | National Trust You can see Comptonatus Chasei at the Dinosaur Isle Museum on the Isle of Wight. Welcome to Dinosaur Isle - Dinosaur Isle Museum If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk

Apr 15

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25 min
APR 29

Crayfish Gladiator Battle

White-clawed crayfish were once common in Britain’s waterways. But thanks to a restaurant craze in the 1970’s, that brought the American signal crayfish to our shores, our only native freshwater crayfish is under threat from this invasive species. White-clawed crayfish are eco system engineers keeping rivers and streams clean and they also have amazing limb re growing superpowers. But they’re being outcompeted for food and habitat by the American signal crayfish and succumbing to a killer plague being spread by them. But, with a little help from Ranger Nick Allen and the team at Wallington estate in Northumberland, habitats are being created where white-clawed crayfish can thrive. Join Rosie and follow the story and the lives of the plucky little characters fighting for survival in England’s Northeast. Production: Host: Rosie Holdsworth Producers: Michelle Douglass and Katy Kelly Sound Editor: Jesus Gomez Contributor: Nick Allen Discover more: Find out more about Wallington and their work with the white-clawed crayfish: Saving the native white-clawed crayfish | National Trust Follow us @ wildtales Instagram account If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or a story idea, you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk

Apr 29

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12 min
MAR 18

Finding the Tundra Swan

The Bewick’s or ‘Tundra’ swan has eluded ranger Ajay Tegala for years. It's hardly surprising: the swan’s epic migration is under pressure, and their numbers are dwindling. Can Ajay find them at their winter retreat of WWT Welney? Ajay speaks to fellow swan lover, artist and zoologist Dafila Scott and site manager Lizzie Bruce to aid his search for these hardworking swans. [Ad] Wild Tales is sponsored by Cotswold Outdoor, your outside retailer and epic guides to adventure. Quick breathers, calming walks or heart-pounding hikes. We feel better when we get out more. Find quality kit and 50 years of outdoor wisdom. Plus, supporters save 15% in-store and online. Feel in your element, in the elements, at Cotswold Outdoor. https://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/ Production: Host and Co-producer: Ajay TegalaProducer: Marnie WoodmeadeSound Designer: Jesus GomezMusic: Swan Song by Charlotte Eve With thanks to: Dafila Scott, Lizzie Bruce and the staff and volunteers at WWT Welney Discover more: Visit WWT Welney: https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/welney Visit Wicken Fen: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/cambridgeshire/wicken-fen-national-nature-reserve Learn more about wetland swans: https://www.wwt.org.uk/discover-wetlands/wetland-wildlife/meet-the-family/swans-found-in-uk-wetlands

Mar 18

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23 min
APR 1

Toad Patrol | The Perilous Path

As winter turns to spring , toads, frogs and newts across Britain begin their annual journey, making their way back to the ponds where they breed. For many, that journey means crossing busy roads and not all of them make it to the other side. In this episode of Wild Tales, we spend the night with the Charlcombe Lane Toad Patrol, discovering the dedication and determination it takes to give these remarkable animals a fighting chance. [Ad] Wild Tales is sponsored by Cotswold Outdoor, your outside retailer and epic guides to adventure. Quick breathers, calming walks or heart-pounding hikes. We feel better when we get out more. Find quality kit and 50 years of outdoor wisdom. Plus, supporters save 15% in-store and online. Feel in your element, in the elements, at Cotswold Outdoor. https://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/ Production: Narrator: Rosie Holdsworth Producer and sound designer: Nikki Ruck photo courtesy : Charlcombe Toad Rescue Group With thanks to Mike Collins, Sheila Gundry, Lance, Lucy and Angela from the Charlcombe Lane Toad Group Discover more: https://www.froglife.org/what-we-do/toads-on-roads/how-to-become-a-toad-patroller/

Apr 1

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16 min
MAR 4 · BONUS

You Might Like: Nature Fix | Stargazing in the City

This week we’re sharing another of our podcasts we think you’ll enjoy. Nature Fix takes you on adventures with people whose lives have been shaped by the outdoors. In this episode, wrap up warm and turn your eyes to the skies for a stargazing tour from the middle of Manchester. Nature Fix Host Claire Hickinbotham joins astronomer and adventure enthusiast Nazanin Jahanshahi, to discover how there’s lots to see in the night sky wherever you live. On this awe-inspiring city celestial voyage, you'll be wowed by a rare planetary parade, learn how to start navigating the stars, and hear top tips for hunting the northern lights. Production Producer: Michelle DouglassSound Designer: Nikki RuckContributor: Nazanin Jahanshahi Get your Nature FixFollow Nature Fix on your favourite podcast app: https://podfollow.com/nature-fix Discover the best National Trust spots for stargazing: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/outdoor-activities/top-spots-for-stargazing Learn about night sky locations and activities: https://gostargazing.co.uk/

Mar 4 · Bonus

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18 min
FEB 18

The Island of Secret Seals

Orford Ness is well practiced at keeping secrets; in the 1940s it was classified military research, but now it is a brand new colony of grey seals. Countryside Manager Matt Wilson guides us around the bomb craters to try and find the newest and blubbery-est residences. We find out how they came to be on this moon-like beach and how they’re faring on this remote site. [Ad] Wild Tales is sponsored by Cotswold Outdoor, your outside retailer and epic guides to adventure. Quick breathers, calming walks or heart-pounding hikes. We feel better when we get out more. Find quality kit and 50 years of outdoor wisdom. Plus, supporters save 15% in-store and online. Feel in your element, in the elements, at Cotswold Outdoor. https://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/ Production: Producer: Marnie WoodmeadeHosts: Rosie Holdsworth Sound Designer: Jesus GomezWith thanks to: Matt Wilson and the staff at Orford Ness Image © National Trust Images/Rob Coleman Discover more: Visit Orford Ness, looked after by the National Trust https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/suffolk/orford-ness-national-nature-reserve Find out more about the seals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6ti7BaNKpU&t=523s

Feb 18

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16 min
2024-10-14

I’m Not Lichen This

Who knew that there are rainforests in the UK?The Wildlifers’ wits are tested when they try to catch a green-fingered thief in Borrowdale Rainforest in the Lake District. Someone has been stealing lichen, a strange plant life form that’s made of fungus and algae, and is essential for forest life.While the gang are solving the puzzle, they meet a local, Cuckoo. But there’s something a bit strange about this bird. Can they trust Cuckoo or will their feathered friend land them in trouble? ProductionArtwork: (c) Becka MoorCast:Ranger Rae: Katy SchutteRoxy: Leila HallDeer / Wildcat: Hannah PlattsBeaver / Bat: Lloydie James LloydExpedition Eddie: Adam HodgsonOther characters played by members of the ensemble.Writer: Aidan FitzmauriceSound design: Chris StevensEditing: Adam StonerProducers: Lloydie James Lloyd & Adam StonerRanger Rae and the Wildlifers is a podcast from the National Trust, produced by Fun Kids Radio.Ideas and resources for the grownups Discover more from Fun Kids Radio www.funkidslive.comBe inspired with '50 things to do before you're 11 and 3/4'nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/50-things Find out about visiting Borrowdale Rainforestnationaltrust.org.uk/visit/lake-district/borrowdale-and-derwent-water/borrowdale-nnrLearn more about UK wildlifenationaltrust.org.uk/discover/nature/wildlife Follow the National Trust Podcast, our podcast for grown ups. Discover immersive tales of nature, history and adventurepodfollow.com/national-trust-podcast

2024-10-14

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13 min
FEB 4

Pine Martens’ Return

Pine martens were once common in Britain but now, they're one of our rarest carnivores. These slinky, tree-dwelling predators had virtually disappeared in England and Wales by the turn of the 20th Century. But pine martens are making a comeback. We follow Ranger Dan Iceton at Wallington estate in Northumberland, as he tries to encourage pine martens to make these woodlands their forever home. And we discover conservation success in other parts of Britain where the animals have returned. Follow the story and secret lives of the mysterious mammal making a comeback in our forests. [Ad] Wild Tales is sponsored by Cotswold Outdoor, your outside retailer and epic guides to adventure. Quick breathers, calming walks or heart-pounding hikes. We feel better when we get out more. Find quality kit and 50 years of outdoor wisdom. Plus, supporters save 15% in-store and online. Feel in your element, in the elements, at Cotswold Outdoor. https://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/ Production: Producer: Michelle DouglassHosts: Rosie Holdsworth and Dan IcetonSound Editor: Jesus GomezWith thanks to: Dr Stephanie Johnstone and Vincent Wildlife Trust Image © Caroline Legg Discover more: Visit Wallington, looked after by the National Trust https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/north-east/wallington Find out more about pine martens with Vincent Wildlife Trust: https://www.vwt.org.uk/species/pine-marten-2 Read about Martens on the Move: https://pinemartens.uk/ Report your sighting and help citizen science: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/a8c5d8e084dc4ecb9b92c57c42769d1f

Feb 4

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19 min
2025-12-24

The Climbers of Eryri | A Story of Ice and Flowers

The rock faces of Cwm Idwal are cold, dark and uninhabitable; unless what you love is to dangle off the frozen cliffs. Ice climbing takes you into a winter playground, but as the climate crisis thins the ice, how can climbers and conservationists work together to save one of the UK’s rarest flowers? Join ecologist and botanist Barbara Jones and ice climber Tom Carrick to scale one of Wales' most dramatic mountains and discover how the precious Lili'r Wyddfa (Snowdon Lily) can survive in this isolated location. For the Welsh transcript of this episode please click here Or copy this link: https://audioboom.com/posts/8820822-dringwyr-eryri-stori-am-ia-a-blodau/transcript [Ad] Wild Tales is sponsored by Cotswold Outdoor, your outside retailer and epic guides to adventure. Quick breathers, calming walks or heart-pounding hikes. We feel better when we get out more. Find quality kit and 50 years of outdoor wisdom. Plus, supporters save 15% in-store and online. Feel in your element, in the elements, at Cotswold Outdoor. www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/ Production Presenter: Rosie Holdsworth Producer: Marnie Woodmeade Sound Designer: Jesus Gomez Contributors Barbara Jones Tom Carrick Image credit: ©National Trust Images/John Millar Discover more If you want to visit Cwm Idwal you can find out more at the National Trusts website: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wales/carneddau-and-glyderau/cwm-idwal-walk To see the temperature sensors, you can find them at the BMC website https://www.thebmc.co.uk/en/cwm-idwal-welsh-winter-monitoring-system-live-and-upgraded You can also find the white guide and more winter mountaineering information here: https://www.thebmc.co.uk/en/mountaineering-resources For more on arctic alpines, here are some resources: Plants on the Edge: Arctic Alpines in Wales / Ar y dibyn: Planhigion Arctig Alpaidd yng Ngymru https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/mountain_plants_in_the_uk__undervalued_and_under_threat-13605 Follow us @wildtalesnt Instagram account If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk

2025-12-24

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20 min
JAN 7

The Man, The Book and The Mountains

Just outside Belfast, lie the Mourne Mountains - a land of granite peaks and wide skies, but also a place of witches, fawns and lions. Protected as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, an Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a UNESCO Global Geopark, this remarkable landscape is also a doorway to imagination. Join National Trust ranger Kate Martin as she journeys from the streets of Belfast to the Mourne Mountains, exploring the places that shaped C.S. Lewis’s childhood and inspired his creation of Narnia. Discover how city, story and landscape came together to form one of the most beloved worlds in children’s literature. (AD) Wild Tales is sponsored by Cotswold Outdoor, your outside retailer and epic guides to adventure.Quick breathers, calming walks or heart-pounding hikes. We feel better when we get out more.Find quality kit and 50 years of outdoor wisdom. Plus, supporters save 15% in-store and online. Feel in your element in the elements, at Cotswold Outdoor. www.cotswoldoutdoor.com Watch a video of this podcast on the National Trust’s YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/_Smzdtsh_tM Production Presenter: Kate Martin Producer: Pippa Tilbury-Harris Sound Designer: Jesus Gomez Contributors: Dr Sarah Waters, Director of the Sterling College C.S. Lewis Center Lolly Spence, Blue Badge Tourist Guide and historian James Fisher, Lead Ranger NI Castle Ward Actor: Ethan Hughes courtesy of Prime Theatre Thank you to The CS Lewis Company Ltd for permissions to use quotes from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis © copyright CS Lewis Pte Ltd 1950, in this episode. Discover More If you’d like to know more about visiting The Mournes, please visit https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/northern-ireland/the-mournes You can listen to more of Kate’s Northern Ireland adventures here: Northern Ireland Adventure | Beyond the Bridge - Wild Tales | Nature Podcast | Podcast on Spotify Northern Ireland Adventure | Sea Safari at Rathlin Island - Wild Tales | Nature Podcast | Podcast on Spotify If you'd like to book a tour with Lolly Spence you can here: www.hiddenulstertours.com If you’d like to read Dr Sarah Waters’ work on C.S. Lewis, you can do so here: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9681-3361 And you can learn more about the Sterling College C.S. Lewis Center here: https://www.sterling.edu/academics/cs-lewis-center If you’d like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk

Jan 7

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19 min

Delve into immersive tales of history, nature and adventure with the award-winning National Trust podcasts.

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National Trust

Top Shows

The Dinosaur in the Cliff

Crayfish Gladiator Battle

Finding the Tundra Swan

Toad Patrol | The Perilous Path

You Might Like: Nature Fix | Stargazing in the City

The Island of Secret Seals

I’m Not Lichen This

Pine Martens’ Return

The Climbers of Eryri | A Story of Ice and Flowers

The Man, The Book and The Mountains

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