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In this enchanting episode of the Countryside Podcasts, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin ascend to the lofty heights of High Ash Farm, where June’s wild symphony reverberates across Norfolk’s landscape. On the historic gun field—once a wartime bastion with searchlights and artillery guarding Norwich from German bombers during the 1940s—a skylark soars, its trilling melody piercing the sky just yards away, a poignant echo of resilience. Nearby, pyramidal orchids rise from chalky clay, their deep purple spikes crafting nature’s pyramids, a rare bloom thriving amidst a wildflower haven shaped by centuries of human toil. In an elder wood atop an Anglo-Saxon cemetery, creamy blossoms whisper tales of ancient cremations and fires fuelled by hollow elder stems, a site of international significance where Roman chalk mining once supported early mortar works. From hedgehog hoglets foraging in daylight to debates on solar panels versus farmland, listener queries enrich this journey. With bees buzzing over sand vetch, rooks cawing from nest-laden Scots pines, and the farm’s living heritage unfolding, this episode celebrates a timeless connection under a lengthening summer sky.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2432378/episodes/17325258-episode-2-24-skylarks-and-pyramids-june-s-high-harmony.mp3?download=true

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