Ramblings

Clare Balding heads to Brockley and Ladywell for a leafy London wander with Hana Sutch, co founder of the walking app Go Jauntly. Growing up in a family that didn’t walk for pleasure, Hana discovered the joy of rambling in her twenties, when a visit to her husband’s native Northumberland showed her the calming power of putting one foot in front of the other. Later, as a new parent in the city, she struggled to find accessible green spaces - an experience that inspired her to create the app which helps walkers navigate routes easily, including by following images of landmarks. As they wander, Hana discusses the challenges of building a start‑up as part of a small team of four, including hearing from big players in the field that she would never succeed. Their route is a four‑mile urban circular starting in Ladywell. Avoiding main roads where possible, they head up and around Hilly Fields, down to Ladywell Fields and on to Blythe Hill before ending the walk, where they met, in Brockley and Ladywell Cemeteries. You can find out more at www.gojauntly.com The walk Hana and Clare took together will go live on the app when the programme is broadcast. Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Clare joins Ian Teasdale in the north Lake District for a very personal walk. Ian and his wife, Catherine, are on a mission to climb all 214 Wainwright fells as part of their 'Terminal Hillness' project which they started following Ian's diagnosis of incurable bowel cancer. He wants to raise awareness of the lack of cancer support facilities in their region and he decided the best way to do this was by completing a full round of the Wainwrights. As they hike up Longlands, Ian shares memories connected to the landscape he grew up in. The forecast was grim before they set off, but the sun shone, and the only rain that fell created the most beautiful rainbow across the valley. They started at Longlands, Grid Ref NY266358, and completed a 6 mile circuit with views of Skiddaw and the Northern Fells. Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Clare joins writer Nicola Chester for a circular walk from her home in the village of Inkpen in West Berkshire. Despite recently breaking her leg in an unfortunate tangle of dog zoomies, Nicola is back on her feet and eager to share the landscapes that have shaped both her life and her books. Their route takes them through Manor Farm, the setting for her latest work, and up towards Inkpen Beacon, a hill familiar to Clare from childhood climbs. As they walk, Nicola reflects on her lifelong desire to farm, the barriers faced by women in agriculture, and the remarkable story of Miss Julia White, a pioneering farmer whose life she explores in her new book Ghosts of the Farm: Two Women’s Journeys Through Time, Land and Community. Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Clare hikes up Bredon Hill with Steve Boycott, founder of the Be You Programme, an outdoor‑based initiative that helps young people build confidence and resilience. Steve explains how his work grew from his own experiences of insecurity, bullying, military service and years spent travelling the world. He reflects on how the outdoors can transform young people, why taking “one more step” can shift a mindset, and his belief that hills can teach us more about ourselves than any classroom. Clare and Steve met at The Queen Elizabeth Pub in Elmley Castle and began their walk from there. Bredon, he says, isn’t the biggest or the most beautiful hill, but it has soul and a healing quality. Map: OS Explorer Map OL45 – The Cotswolds (North) Grid Ref: SO982411 Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Clare Balding meets the adventurer Pom Oliver for a woodland wander near her home in West Sussex. As they stroll amongst the trees, Pom recalls extraordinary chapters from her life: polar and desert expeditions, an epic hitch‑hiking journey from Cape Town to Sydney, and her time in the film industry working on much‑loved productions such as Biggles and Picnic at Hanging Rock. Their conversation also turns to Pom’s latest adventure - a challenging three‑month trek across Saudi Arabia, tracing the footsteps of traders along the ancient incense route. The walk begins at Pom’s home, but listeners keen to explore the woodland can enter it from The Blue Ship pub in the tiny hamlet of The Haven (postcode RH14 9BS). Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Clare joins Glenn Meyer in Surrey’s Happy Valley for a walk that celebrates resilience and recovery. During lockdown, Glenn suffered a serious spinal injury after a simple movement on a sun lounger. Over time he lost the ability to walk and became reliant on a wheelchair. Three major operations at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital rebuilt his spine with an internal frame anchored by bolts into his hips. Against the odds, Glenn can now stand and walk and is in training for a 3 day, 37 mile hike from his home in Caterham to the hospital in Stanmore that helped him get back on his feet. Today’s training walk with Clare is a scenic circuit of around 5 miles, starting at The Fox pub on Coulsdon Common. Glenn and his wife, Hilary, lead Clare into Happy Valley, skirt the Surrey National Golf Course, and pause at Chaldon Church, famed for its medieval mural. The walk continues across Farthing Downs before looping back to Coulsdon Common. Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Clare Balding joins Rob Curtis for a walk across the dramatic landscape of Rhossili Bay on the Gower Peninsula. Rob, an electrician with a passion for nature and adventure, has worked with the British Antarctic Survey on five separate expeditions. Now, despite a recent diagnosis of type 2 diabetes which he was sure would stymie his plans, he’s training for yet another trip to the Halley Research Station. As they walk from Llangennith to the church memorial of Welsh Antarctic explorer, Edgar Evans, Rob shares stories of life on the ice, the challenges of polar survival, and his determination to stay fit enough to pass the medical required for deployment. They started their walk at Hillend car park, Llangennith and headed across Rhossili Down (where Rob once broke his leg paragliding), to St. Mary’s Church, then ambled back along the beach to Hillend. Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Clare is walking in the Cotswolds with author Corinne Fowler and historian Raj Pal, whose family has roots in both Britain and India. Corinne is leading the way, recreating and extending the “Indian Walk in the Cotswolds” walk she originally took with Raj for a chapter in her book Our Island Stories: Ten Walks through Rural Britain and its Hidden History of Empire. As they ramble, they reflect on how the British countryside is deeply connected to colonial history. Beginning on the Heart of England Way at Bourton on the Hill, they pass Sezincote House, a Neo-Mughal estate built in 1805 by a former East India Company officer, take in the Church of St James in Longborough, before circling back to the Horse and Groom pub in Bourton. Map: OS Explorer OL45 The Cotswolds - Burford, Chipping Camden, Cirencester, Stow on the Wold Grid Ref: SP 173 325 Near the Horse & Groom pub, Bourton on the Hill Presenter: Clare Balding Producer for BBC Studios: Karen Gregor

Clare joins Earth Scientist and author Anjana Khatwa for a cliffside walk in Dorset exploring the landscapes that shaped her life, and her book The Whispers of Rock – Stories from the Earth. Starting at Spyway Barn near Langton Matravers, the route takes in clifftops, caves, and the fossil-rich coastline, revealing stories of geology and belonging. Anjana shares her journey from growing up in Slough in a traditional Indian family to becoming a leading voice in earth science. From Spyway Barn, at the National Trust car park, they walked down to Dancing Ledge, along the coast path past Winspit Caves, and up to the village of Worth Matravers before heading back to the car park. Grid Reference for Spyway Barn: SY 998 776 Map: OS Explorer 116 – Lyme Regis & Bridport Presenter: Clare Balding Producer for BBC Studios: Karen Gregor

Clare joins Nick Wilson for a circuit around Pitsford Reservoir in Northamptonshire. A former soldier, Nick now uses a powerchair after a spinal injury and years of chronic pain made walking impossible. He has experienced homelessness and battled depression, yet has found the strength to launch his ‘Disabled Adventurer’ project. Through this initiative, Nick creates social media videos about the accessibility of natural spaces, leads wheelchair skills workshops, and collaborates with national organisations to make the outdoors more inclusive. Nick and his support worker, Matthew, brought along a spare powerchair for Clare. With their guidance, she navigated a stretch of the reservoir’s wide, accessible paths. As Nick explained, having access to outdoor spaces and continuing to pursue his love of adventure - albeit in a different way - has helped him rediscover a sense of enjoyment, achievement, and purpose. Map: OS Explorer 223 Northampton and Market Harborough Map Ref: (car park) SP 752 694 Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4

Clare joins writer Kate Morgan on a walk from Monsal Head to Tideswell in the Peak District. Along the way, they explore how the use of gallows and gibbets in public punishment has influenced rural place names. Gibbet Rock, a striking limestone outcrop also called Peter’s Stone for its resemblance to the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, was once used to ‘gibbet’ or display the bodies of executed criminals. Kate tells the story of Anthony Lingard, who was convicted in 1815 of murdering a local woman, Hannah Oliver, and became the last person to be gibbetted at the site. Kate is currently researching her third book, which will be on this subject. Her previous two books are Murder: The Biography which explores the legal history of the crime of murder in English Law, and The Walnut Tree which looks into the major legal changes affecting women in the 19th and early 20th centuries. (https://amheath.com/authors/kate-morgan) Map:OS Explorer OL24 The Peak District White Peak Area, Buxton Bakewell, Matlock & Dove Dale Map Ref: SK185715 for the start of the walk at Monsal Head car park Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4

Clare explores a six-mile loop of the Chater Valley in this week’s Ramblings. Her companion is Will Hetherington who wrote to the programme inviting Clare to join him. He wanted to share his story of sudden bereavement, and the positivity that ultimately emerged from it. Tragically, in 2017, Will’s first wife, Wendy, took her own life. It was an enormous shock, bringing with it what Will describes as “complicated grief.” However, a remark at her funeral about a long walk Will and Wendy had once done together led to the suggestion that he organise a group walk in her name. Sixty people turned up for that first hike, and it’s now grown into a regular event known as Walk for Wendy. Will says walking has been a wonderful way for him to process his emotions, and for others to step away from the daily grind and open up about the things that affect them. His passion for the outdoors has even led him to publish a series of books about walking in the local area. Clare and Will met in North Luffenham, continued onto Pilton, Wing, Lyndon and then completed their circuit by returning to North Luffenham. This is Clare's second consecutive walk in Rutland... check out last week's episode where she ambled around the Hambleton Peninsula with the comedian, Mark Steel. Map: OS Explorer 234 - Rutland Water (approaching the southern edge of the map) Map Ref: SK 935 033 for Church Street where they started - and ended - the walk If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, including urgent support, a list of organisations that can help is available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4

Clare Balding’s In Town! To kick off the new series, Clare is walking in Rutland with comedian Mark Steel. Since they’re in the same place at the same time, Clare is also making a cameo appearance on Mark’s hugely successful Radio 4 show, Mark Steel’s In Town, in Oakham, Rutland’s largest town. Mark has been making In Town for 450 years (he told us) and each show involves intense research before he performs a stand-up routine about the area to a local audience. As Clare and Mark amble around the Hambleton Peninsula, which stretches into Rutland Water, Mark and his producer Carl Cooper discuss what it takes to pull together an episode of In Town. Mark also discusses the theme of his new book, Leopard in My House, about his recovery from cancer. Guiding Mark and Clare is keen local walker Richard Cooper, who has lived in the area for 20 years and is both knowledgeable and passionate about Rutland. Mark Steel's In Town – Oakham, Rutland will be broadcast on Tuesday, 7 October, with Ramblings following on the 9th... with both available forever on BBC Sounds... Map: OS Explorer 234 - Rutland Water Map Ref: SK901075 for Ketton Road where they started the walk Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4

Clare is in Northumberland today for the final episode of this Camino de Santiago themed series. She’s walking along a section of Hadrian’s Wall with a fabulous group of women - the Ciao Ciao Girls - celebrating the 10th anniversary of their pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Since then, they've become a tightly bonded unit who gather every year to complete another walking challenge. For today’s joyful, windy and very rainy hike they met at the Steel Rigg car park, and completed a circular walk including the remains of the tree at Sycamore Gap. As they wander they reflect on their first adventure together on the Camino, what that experience brought them, and continues to bring them ten years on. Steel Rigg Car Park, NE47 7AW / What3Words: teacher.spelling.tweed Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Clare is in Penicuik for the penultimate episode of this Camino de Santiago themed series. The first five programmes were recorded in Spain, and the final two episodes are in the UK with people reflecting on their past experiences of The Way. Today Clare meets a true Camino veteran: Rev. Nick Bowry has walked it seven times, and on different routes, including when he was making the decision to give up his long-standing career to become a Priest. Joining Clare and Nick on today's walk are Nick's friends, Cat and Liz, who share their own Camino memories as they enjoy the beautiful local scenery on a fine day. They completed a circular walk starting at Nick's church, St. James the Less, taking in the River North Esk, Serpentine Wood, and views of the Pentland Hills. Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor Here's a poem Nick wrote about his time on the Camino in 2016: Santander a Muxia, Camino 2016 Come, it's been a while, And walk, talk, sing, and pray, My way, your way, our way, In silence, in company, together, apart, each day, Never lonely, I'm pleased to say, One foot in front of the other. Consciously clearing clutter from my mind, Allowing time to forgive, seventy times seven and once again, Making friends with myself and letting go what drains, I feel my load lighten, less and less remains, New days dawn and the true self gains, One foot in front of the other. Conversations words and gestures, All allow acquaintances to grow, Many mark a mile, some many more - going with the flow, Intimate confessions and burdens off loaded, I know, Now I have time and patience to listen, to help the speaker let go, One foot in front of the other. Calmed and caught in the cadence of walking, Applied compeed, insect repellent and sun cream, Mass at noon - seeing it swing - has it been a dream, Indisputably not, my calf muscles know where they have been, Now with great anticipation, mi amigo is seen, One foot in front of the other. Companions on the way, four between us, And now we start our one at last, Minding all that has gone on, the past, In perspective, in sorrow and joy our minds cast, New beginnings both, carpe diem, life goes so fast, One foot in front of the other. Conclusions - I have a few, Appreciate each day and what you learn, Make new friends, be generous but make time for yourself to discern, Invite new experiences and try them out, Now is the time, without a doubt, and… Oh, just put… one foot in front of the other.

On Clare’s last day of walking sections of the Camino, she arrives into Santiago de Compostela with a wonderful group of friends who have been following the Portuguese route, starting in Vigo. The women became friends after meeting in their local gym, and discovered they were all working their way through challenging personal issues. They decided they wanted to do something for themselves to celebrate both fitness and friendship… and their Camino adventure began. The route they chose was from Vigo to Santiago which is entirely in Spain, but forms the last 104km/65 miles of the Camino Portugues Coastal. This is the What3Words location for where Clare met the group: ///petitioning.spokes.snail Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Clare is walking on the Camino Inglés today with Jannine Stoodley who is pushing her mother, Sally, in an off-road wheelchair. This entire series of Ramblings is themed around the Camino de Santiago, a network of pilgrimage trails that stretch across western Europe and converge on the world famous Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, in northern Spain. The Camino Inglés, or the English Way, is one of these trails. It has two starting points, either at Ferrol which is 119km, or A Coruña which is 75km from Santiago de Compostela. Because the distance required for a Compostela certificate is 100km, the Ferrol route is most popular. Jannine and Sally are taking the path from A Coruña, and hope to finish their adventure at the Cathedral on Sally’s 85th birthday. Sally suffered a debilitating stroke in 2023, and had been admitted to a hospice for end of life care. But, incredibly, Sally rallied and recovered saying “I’m not ready to die yet” and was eventually able to return home. However she could no longer walk for long distances, which had always a passion, so Jannine found a robust wheelchair that Sally could be pushed in, and set off to walk the Camino. They have already completed the Reading to Southampton route in England, which is an officially recognised section of the Camino; it’s a 68mile/109km path so when they complete the A Coruña, they will have surpassed the 100km needed to gain the coveted ‘Compostela’ completion certificate. Clare met Jannine and Sally outside Restaurante Mar de Esteiro (What3Words: ///sweeter.jazz.lazing) which is around 11km out of Santiago de Compostela. They walked together on an often challenging route - especially when pushing a very heavy wheelchair across uneven terrain and up steep hills - for approx 10km. Jannine and Sally let us know that they successfully completed the final stretch of their walk the following day, reaching the Cathedral on Sally's birthday. They are keen to make the kind of off-road wheelchairs that Sally uses available to others through Adversity to Adventure, see the 'related links' section on the Ramblings webpage. Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Clare meets a man who completely changed his life after walking the Camino de Santiago. Andrea Abbatemarco is originally from Milan, and first completed The Way in 2005 in memory of a friend who died a year earlier in the Indian Ocean tsunami. A few years later, he walked it again with his girlfriend and just a matter of months after returning to Italy, they packed up their lives, bought a house along the Camino, and now run a hostel for pilgrims. The Camino de Santiago is a network of footpaths that run across western Europe, all converging upon the Cathedral at Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain. One of these trails is the Sanabrés which begins in Granja de Moreruela and stretches for around 225 miles to Santiago de Compostela. Clare met Andrea on the Sanabrés, around 30km out of Santiago where he runs Casa Leiras, an Albergue, or hostel, specifically designed for Camino pilgrims. Joining them is Manni Coe, a guide who leads walks on the Sanabrés, who's known Andrea for years. Manni also featured in episode one of this series which is entirely themed around the Camino. Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

Clare walks with Reverend Maggie McLean today on a stretch of the Camino de Santiago, the world famous pilgrimage route that concludes at Santiago de Compostela’s glorious Cathedral in northern Spain. The Camino can be completed in numerous ways, with one of the most popular routes being the French Way otherwise known as the Francés. It begins in the French town of St. Jean Pied de Port and ends 790km/490miles later in Santiago. Maggie is trekking part of this route and Clare joins her at Triacastela to hear her story as they make their way to the Benedictine Monastery at Samos, which is about 150km from Santiago itself. Maggie is a lifelong keen walker, and was one of the first women to be ordained in the Church of England. She works as a Canon at York Minster, and would like to see some kind of pilgrimage established there, so her time on the Camino is not just a spiritual journey, it’s also a way of conducting some research. On their walk she tells Clare about her life and journey in faith, including working in homeless centres, probation hostels and a seafarers’ mission in Australia. En route Clare and Maggie bumped into Arthur, a pilgrim who has spent several weeks every year for seven years on the Camino, which he started by walking out of his front door in Switzerland. Despite suffering cancer three times, and having one quarter of a lung removed, he still carries a 10kg backpack and never plans where he’s going to stay overnight. Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

This is a very special series of Ramblings. To mark Clare’s 25th year of presenting Radio 4’s walking programme she is off to Spain to fulfil her long held desire of hiking one of the world’s most famous pilgrimage footpaths, the Camino de Santiago. Translated roughly as The Way of St. James, the Camino isn’t just one route, rather it’s a network of trails across western Europe converging on Santiago de Compostela, the reputed burial place of St. James. Clare's first companion is Manni Coe. He first walked the Camino 22 years ago with his brother Reuben, following the Francés, or French, path. This is probably the most famous route, which starts in the French town of St Jean Pied de Port. Reuben has Down’s Syndrome and Manni recalls their journey together as the most magical yet challenging time of their lives. Manni now lives in Spain and works as a tour guide, including leading pilgrims along the Sanabrés which begins in Granja de Moreruela and stretches around 225 miles to Santiago. Manni is also an author about to publish his second book, ‘Little Ruins’. As he explains to Clare, the simple act of walking has been invaluable in enabling him to complete this personal project which is about recovery from childhood trauma. This is the second time Clare has walked with Manni: search in our episodes list for ‘Brotherly Love in Burton Bradstock’ to hear Manni and Reuben walking in Dorset. For this episode, Manni and Clare walked from Bendoiro (What3Words: tuxedos.unwed.enjoys) to Silleda (W3W: expecting.shortcuts.outsells) Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor