Ten years ago, Stefan Pitman set up SPASE Architects. Right from the start, he realised many of his clients were coming to him with one big problem: they might own beautiful old buildings, but they cost a fortune to run.

'We have really close connections with our clients,' he tells James Fisher on the Country Life Podcast, 'and we talked about what is it like to actually have the responsibility and the upkeep of these old buildings? And that's when, certainly for a number of owners and clients, we very quickly realised that there is a vast cost to keeping these buildings in use, and comfortable, and many of them aren't comfortable because of that. And because of that they fall into a state where they begin to get damp, and then you get some timber decay, and it all starts to snowball a little bit.'

Fixing those problems began to become one of the firm's specialities, until one key project which made a huge impact: their work on Athelhampton Manor, where they cut a monthly energy bill that was well into six figures to between £0 and £500, saving over 100 tons of CO2 annually.

We're delighted that Stefan was able to join James on the podcast to talk about that project — which won them a string of architecture awards — as well as how the landscape of preserving and insulating old buildings has changed in the last five years, and how the same principles can be applied to almost any building, 'from a two-bed terrace to Hampton Court'.

Find out more about SPASE Architects at their website.

Episode credits

Host: James Fisher

Guest: Stefan Pitman

Editor and producer: Toby Keel

Music: JuliusH via Pixabay

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'When they came to me and said, "do you want to do a book on the Guinness houses?" I leapt at the chance. Because, I've got to tell you, they have some astonishing houses. I mean, some really amazing places.'

So says Adrian Tinniswood, who — like the Guinness family houses — is also amazing and astonishing. He's a historian and writer who has enjoyed a fifty-year career writing books about the greatest houses in Britain which manage to be simultaneously scholarly, fascinating and wildly entertaining. Adrian's new book, The Houses of Guinness (Scala, £34), is out at the beginning of November, tying in nicely with the new Netflix series about the Guinness family.

'I don't know if you've seen it, James,' Adrian tells the podcast host, James Fisher. 'It's fascinating. There's very little truth in it, but it's a fascinating piece of TV.'

Adrian tells James about how his early studies in literature fell away as he began his career, first with a temporary job working at Sudbury Hall, and then when he read Mark Girouard's Life in the English Country House. 'Still, 50 years later, that book is a bible for me,' Adrian says. 'That just changed the game as far as country houses were concerned.'

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Adrian goes on to talk through his work, his favourite places and some of the most extraordinary tales of the Guinness family's houses and the colourful characters who inhabited them. He takes us through the early days of cunning business decisions, the wild success of the stout that bears the family name and the philanthropy which ushered them into the corridors of power, right through to the wild parties where the later generations of Guinness heirs rubbed shoulders with The Beatles and the Rolling Stones. It's a wonderful episode, and we hope you enjoy it.

Episode credits

Host: James Fisher

Guest: Adrian Tinniswood

Editor and producer: Toby Keel

Music: JuliusH via Pixabay

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Growing up in the cityscape of Huddersfield, Amanda Owen was inspired by tales of farming life, from the adventures of James Herriot to the classic Hill Shepherd by John Forder, painting a picture of fell farming that became all she wanted to do.

Fast forward to the 2020s and Amanda has become one of the best-known farmers in the country, starting with her Instagram account — where she has over half a million followers as @yorkshireshepherdess — and progressing on to television documentaries and more.

While doing all this she has somehow found the time (and energy) to have nine children, keep the farm thriving, write a children's book about farming life, and appear on the Country Life Podcast with James Fisher.

Amanda talks to James about her life, her inspiration, her philosophy and what she'd change if she ruled the countryside for a day — and also tells the tale of her new book, Christmas Tales from the Farm, which is out now (Penguin, RRP £14.99).

Episode Credits

Host: James Fisher

Guest: Amanda Owen

Editor and producer: Toby Keel

Music: JuliusH via Pixabay

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'It's often the most glorious job in the world,' says James Robinson, a farmer in Cumbria whose family have been working the same piece of land since the 19th century.

The bad days, though, can be bleak, and when 'you're life's work is disappearing before your eyes' there are days when 'you wish you'd never started farming at all,' James tells the Country Life Podcast this week.

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It's an utterly fascinating look at the life of a farmer in modern Britain — full of joy and wonder, the beauty of nature and the satisfaction of working organically, with the land, yet also realistic, honest and at times heart-wrenching.

Honesty like this — and especially when it comes to facing up to the mental health challenges of being a farmer in Britain in the 21st century — have seen James grow a following online as he works the land with his father and son. And he's now working with the World Wildflife Fund's Prescription for Nature campaign, to help share his story to help others.

It's a wonderful episode of the podcast, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

You can find out more about A Prescription For Nature at wwf.org.uk/prescription-for-nature

Episode credits

Host: James Fisher

Guest: James Robinson

Editor and producer: Toby Keel

Music: JuliusH via Pixabay

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Hannah Shergold is nothing if not proof that following your instincts really can take you anywhere.

Today, she's one of the best-known artists in Britain, a painter and sculptor who has sold countless works, and raised over £350,000 for charity while doing it.

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Yet 20 years ago she was at Cambridge University and on course to become a vet, and a few years after that she was flying military helicopters on rescue missions on the other side of the world.

With her latest show in London just a few days away, we're delighted that Hannah found time to join James Fisher on the Country Life Podcast to talk about her journey through life, her art, how she has raised vast sums for charities including Tusk and Help for Heroes — and how she ended up painting a portrait of Rolling Stones superstar Ronnie Wood.

Hannah's 2025 Collection will launch at Mall Galleries in September. The evening Preview event will see a guest appearance from Ronnie Wood, and will see Hannah's portrait of the Rolling Stones legend auctioned for Tusk. Find out more about Hannah at hannahshergold.com, and you can register for her Mall Galleries show here.

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In 2018, Mark Ashley-Miller bought a boat. There's nothing unusual in that, but there is in what happened next: he decided to sail around the coasts of Britain and Ireland, visiting every single harbour in the British Isles. And unlike most people who have such pipe dreams, he actually did it.

The journey is now over, and we're delighted that Mark joined James Fisher on the Country Life Podcast to talk about his five years at sea, the 9,000 nautical miles he's sailed, and the 300+ harbourmasters he visited in the course of his epic journey.

As well as talking through the inspiration for his trip, Mark talks about his favourite places on the route, the most hospitable harbourmasters, those who were rather frostier... and the one who immediately threw Mark and his crew the keys 'to go exploring' the local area before cracking open the Irish whiskey for a night of revelry. He also talks through the day he had to be rescued by the RNLI, and the few harbours that he wasn't able to make it in to — and why.

Mark has written a book about his experiences, which is available to order now with all proceeds going to The Seafarers' Charity. You can find out more about Mark and his journey at his website or see his Instagram page.

Episode credits

Host: James Fisher

Guest: Mark Ashley-Miller

Editor and producer: Toby Keel

Music: JuliusH via Pixabay

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Jules Perowne — CEO and founder of Perowne International — is one of the most respected voices in the luxury travel industry, working as a consultant and PR guru for some of the most famous hotels in the world, including Gleneagles, Claridges and dozens more around the globe.

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Now, she's also becoming a podcaster alongside the actor Richard E. Grant, presenting the newly-launched Hotels with History show. It's a podcast which looks at some of the most storied places to stay, telling tales of war, celebrity scandals, legendary parties and shocking moments that turned buildings into landmarks.

We're delighted that she joined James Fisher on the Country Life Podcast to talk about Hotels with History, the world of top-end travel, the places which should be on your list for travel in 2026 and even a few of her pet peeves — including the horrors of 'a bathroom designed by a man'.

You can listen to Hotels with History wherever you get your podcasts, and find out more about Jules's work by following her on Instagram.

Episode credits

Host: James Fisher

Guest: Jules Perowne

Editor and producer: Toby Keel

Music: JuliusH via Pixabay

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For most of the last 2,000 years, the white-tailed eagle — or sea eagle — has been one of the most common birds of prey in Britain.

That all ended in horrendous fashion from the late 18th century onwards. Shooting, poisoning, egg collection, a mania for taxidermy and more combined to see this majestic creature — affectionately dubbed the 'flying barn door — hunted to extinction in Britain. The last bird is thought to have been killed in 1918.

Fast forward a century and they are now one of the great success stories of nature. Starting with four chicks brought to RAF Kinloss in June 1975, a 50-year effort led by the RSPB but supported by a string of other organisations has seen populations restored from the Highlands to West Sussex. The RSPB have celebrated this milestone with the making of a film, Return, which tells the full story, and we're delighted that two of the — conservationist Dave Sexton and musician Alice Boyd — joined the Country Life Podcast to talk to James Fisher about how it all came together.

It's a wonderful, inspiring story which shows just what can be done by committed experts, backed by long-term thinking, and is a must-watch for anyone with even a passing interest in wildlife and nature. As of August 29 it's now available to watch on the RSPB's YouTube channel.

You can find out more on the RSPB website — rspb.org.uk — about white-tailed eagles themselves, the making of the film and Alice's hauntingly beautiful music which captures the beauty and majesty of these great creatures.

Episode credits

Host: James Fisher

Guests: Dave Sexton and Alice Boyd

Producer and Editor: Toby Keel

Music: Alice Boyd and JuliusH via Pixabay

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If you are a person who lives in the UK, and you like standing in, or nearby, rivers, there’s a good chance you will have heard of Farlows. It is one of the great outdoors companies of the UK, a place for all fishermen and women to obsess over rods and reels while they tell themselves that they would catch way more fish if they could just buy a bit more gear.

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We were joined on the podcast this week by Robin Philpott, group CEO of Farlows and Sportfish, to talk about the business, fishing and the state of our waterways, because while the newspapers have only been covering the pollution crisis for the past few years, the people on the rivers of this country have been sounding the alarm for a decade.

When you think about it, who better to keep an eye on our rivers than the people who spend their time standing on or nearby them? Falling catch numbers, murky water and low levels have been plaguing this most ancient sport for a long time, and if there’s one thing an angler has in spades, it is patience when it comes to making a fuss.

Episode credits

Host: James Fisher

Guest: Robin Philpott

Editor and producer: Toby Keel

Music: JuliusH via Pixabay

Robin was more than forthcoming about the work that Farlows and other fishing businesses are doing to raise the alarm and help protect our rivers, from investing in more sustainable business practices to creating Sportfish Rivers Month, a grassroots campaign that saw anglers spending the month of July cleaning and improving the health of our rivers. After all, if there’s no fish, there’s no fishing.

It was a fascinating chat with a business leader in a sector very close to Country Life’s (and this host’s) heart. We hope you’ll enjoy listening.

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Hedges are fascinating because they are like buildings. They are pretty much everywhere in rural England, Scotland and Wales, and yet do we ever really stop and think about what they are and what they do?

One man who thinks a lot about what they are and what they do is Richard Negus, a professional hedgelayer and writer from Suffolk. His recent book, Words from the Hedge: A Hedgelayer's View of the Countryside aims to shine a light on these great green structures that define and demarcate our green and pleasant land.

Not only are they important for nature, Richard says, they can also tell us much about the history of rural England from Enclosure all the way to the agricultural policies of the post Second World War era.

As well as laying hedges with his trusty billhook and chainsaw, Richard's work also sees him meet plenty of unusual but crucial conservationists that work in East Anglia, and his hands-on approach gives him a perspective on rural affairs that might be considered 'different' to those making policy in Westminster. The countryside is an idiosyncratic place, but Richard tries his best to explain why things are the way they are.

He's also a podcaster himself, so if you enjoyed this episode, check out the CountrySlide podcast, and you can read his articles on Scribehound, The Critic, Country Life and elsewhere. But first, listen to this engaging and entertaining chat.

Episode credits

Host: James Fisher

Guest: Richard Negus

Editor and producer: Toby Keel

Music: JuliusH via Pixabay

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.