In the parochial lies the universal, or does it? Join us on a trip to the British countryside as we plough into the matter of nature, landscape and the rural world in literature to find out more. Together with Juliet Blaxland, author of Wainwright Prize shortlisted The Easternmost House, and Jay Armstrong of Elementum Journal, the Slightly Foxed Editors and host Philippa share tales of living on the edge of eroding cliffs, pioneering bird photographers, ancient arboreal giants, guerrilla rewilding and favourite loam and lovechild comfort reads. In this month’s forage through the magazine’s archives, we go down to the Folly Brook to explore a vanishing world with ‘BB’ and his little grey men and, to finish, there are the usual wide-ranging recommendations for books to take your reading off the beaten track.

Please find links to books, articles, and further reading listed below. The digits in brackets following each listing refer to the minute and second they are mentioned. (Episode duration: 38 minutes; 52 seconds)

We may be able to get hold of second-hand copies of the out-of-print titles listed below. Please get in touch with Anna in the Slightly Foxed office for more information.  

- Slightly Foxed Issue 64 (2:01)

- The Easternmost House, Juliet Blaxland (4:58)

- Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons (11.13)

- Curlew Moon, Mary Colwell (15:45)

- Food for Free, Richard Mabey (16:14)

- Wilding, Isabella Tree (19:18)

- Addlands, Tom Bullough (21:49)

-  All Among the Barley, Melissa Harrison (22:29)

- The Little Grey Men, BB (31:44)

- Pollard, Laura Beatty is out of print (33:34)

- When the Tree Falls, Jane Clarke (34:40)

- Plot 29, Allan Jenkins (35:09)

- The Outermost House, Henry Beston (36:06)

- The House of Elrig & Ring of Bright Water, Gavin Maxwell (36:39)

- Reynolds Stone: A Memoir, Humphry Stone (37:25)

- Troublesome Ghosts, Paul Evans on Mary Webb, Precious Bane in Issue 10 (10.52)

- Poste-Freudian Therapy, Michele Hanson on Stella Gibbons, Cold Comfort Farm in Issue 10 (11.13)

- Beside the Folly Brook, Helena Drysdale on BB, The Little Grey Men & Down the Bright Stream in Issue 55 (25:40)

- Elementum Journal: A journal of nature & story (7:16)

- Sotheran’s Rare Books and Prints, London (2:58)

- The Fox’s Prophecy, a poem by D. W. Nash (36:58)

- The Wainwright Book Prize: Celebrating the best in nature writing

The image for this episode features ‘Vasalisa’s Garden’ by Olivia Lomenech Gill. This artwork appeared on the cover of Slightly Foxed Issue 51

Opening music: Preludio from Violin Partita No.3 in E Major by Bach

The Slightly Foxed Podcast is hosted by Philippa Lamb and produced by Podcastable