BBC Countryfile Magazine

Countryfile Magazine inspires you to explore forgotten corners of the great British countryside and provides knowledge of the people and wildlife that inhabit it. We want to tempt you into trying new things, seek out new places and make the most of Britain’s beautiful landscapes.

Festive family rituals

COUNTRFILE on TV • What to watch on Countryfile this month*

OUR COLUMNISTS

BBC Countryfile Magazine

Switch on the lights • Illuminate your festive celebrations with a subscription to BBC Countryfile Magazine

Festive sporting events • Whether you watch, support or join in, venturing to a sporting event over the Christmas period will help blow away the cobwebs. Matt Baird picks his favourites from around the nation

PINE MARTENS RETURN TO EXMOOR AFTER MORE THAN 100 YEARS OF ABSENCE • Devon Wildlife Trust releases the elusive woodland mammals in secret Exmoor locations

CAMBRIDGESHIRE NATURE RESERVE RECORDS ITS 10,000TH SPECIES IN UK FIRST • The unusual six-belted clearwing moth is the milestone species recorded at Wicken Fen – thought to be the first UK nature reserve to reach this number

FESTIVE JOY ON THE FARM • Amanda Owen’s own nine kids play a huge role in her first children’s book, Christmas Tales from the Farm

ATTENBOROUGH BACKS AMBITIOUS WILDLIFE PROJECT • Sir David Attenborough gets behind the race to save a huge upland estate in Northumberland and restore it for wildlife

The Plodcast • Tune your ears into our podcast this month

MIDWINTER MERRIMENT OF OLD • Our Yuletide has its roots in Saturnalia, an ancient and sometimes raucous festival held to honour the Roman god of agriculture, reveals Pat Kinsella

OTHER EVENTS IN DECEMBER

DOG OF THE YEAR • The votes have been counted in all categories and we can now reveal the Dog of the Year 2025 winners

Camembert and spinach filo pastry slices • Kick off the festivities with this delicious vegetarian starter from chef and TV presenter Rick Stein

Pylon proposals for the ‘Great Grid Upgrade’spark protests

It’s time to support the threatened British turkey industry

The perfect present • Buy a subscription to BBC Countryfile Magazine today and receive a Stanley Aerolight IceFlow Bottle and BBC Countryfile Magazine tote bag

Christmas in Yorkshire • Cosy pubs, treat-laden markets and a wealth of history: there are few better locations for a rural-yet-urban Christmas combo than York, Harrogate and Studley Royal, says Vivienne Crow

NOW GO THERE • Vivienne Crow on where to eat, stay and visit in York and Harrogate

Away in a manger • While most of us down tools and pick up the mince pies, a farmer’s work doesn’t stop for the festive break. Amy Bateman welcomes us into her farmhouse for a busy Yule on her Cumbrian farm

TOP 10 ROYAL RESIDENCES • Castles, palaces and stately homes open a window into the history and private lives of the British monarchy, writes Matt Havercroft

Community spirit • Rural pubs across Britain are closing at an alarming rate – but local people are fighting back to save inns that have been at the hearts of their villages for centuries. Vivienne Crow orders a pint

TOP 5 COMMUNITY-OWNED INSTITUTIONS

TOP 5 COMMUNITY-OWNED PUBS

Manors and meadows • This December marks 250 years since Jane Austen’s birth. To celebrate, Jack Watkins ambles around Chawton, where the writer penned novels that changed fiction forever

NOW GO THERE • Jack watkins’tips on what to see, eat and drink near Chawton

A glorious haunting • They lived in the same village and shared the same dreams – just 60 years apart. Author Nicola Chester pays tribute to tenacious wartime farmer Miss Julia White and other women like her in...