Paul Heiney presents a series with memorable scenes drawn from the best of the ITV regions. 

Paul explores Britain's coast and country, and meets the people that make it special.

Today, Paul joins anglers at an idyllic spot for the start of the fly-fishing season, and learns more 

about Victorian farming methods.

Idyllic Hours

Rachel de Thame

Kent

Introduction

"The countryside is my home. I love the landscape, and share with the people who live and work there, 

the endless fascination about what makes it tick. Countrywise is going to take me into every corner of 

rural Britain. Who could turn down a job like that?" 

This spring a new series for ITV1 showcases the fabric of Britain's rural and coastal life. Countrywise 

dedicates 36 episodes to the riches which lie beyond Britain’s major cities. It is presented by journalist 

turned farmer and sailor Paul Heiney. 

Countrywise highlights exactly what makes our countryside tick. Combining items presented by Paul 

with features drawn from ITV’s regions, the programme takes in the breadth of Britain's countryside, 

from its crumbliest coastline and happiest valley, to its secret tunnels, rescued gardens and haunted 

hills. 

On his travels around rural Britain, Paul Heiney visits the only place in the UK to grow tea, learns the 

inside story of Dover's white cliffs, and discovers the country's most bizarre beach huts. 

In these credit-crunch times, a growing number are now turning their backs on foreign breaks and 

Countrywise provides an invaluable reminder of what's here on our doorstep. 

Through the stories of the guardians for our landscape, wildlife and traditions, Paul leaves no stone 

unturned in his quest to uncover the secrets of Britain’s beautiful countryside.

(24 episodes in summer + 12 episodes in autumn.)

Today we find out how an historic Kent dockyard changed the landscape forever as whole forests were felled 

for the timber to build warships such as the Victory. We also learns more about Victorian farming traditions, 

and are introduced toanother country champion who is working to keep traditions alive.

Today we are in Constable country, celebrating the anniversary of the birth of one 

of Britain's best-loved landscape painters. We also find out about ambitious plans 

to create the UK's biggest wetland nature reserve AND  Bettany Hughes investigates 

the landmark feat of engineering which stops this area disappearing under the sea.

Constable Country

Episode 35

Countrywise is a British television series on ITV, in which broadcaster Paul Heiney and the team of reporters look at the best of Britain's coast and country, with contributions from the ITV regions. Quite often, the classical historian Bettany Hughes appears on the programme, when she is introduced as the "Countrywise Historian". The programme began a new series in December 2010 - Countrywise Kitchen, about foraging for food and food connected with different parts of the country. For example, the edition broadcast on 10 December 2010 mentioned gathering mushrooms, and mentioned the cep mushroom. Celebrities who have appeared on the programme include Rachel de Thame, who appeared on the programme on 5 July 2011. The most recent series of the programme began broadcast on 25 June 2012, when it came from the Isle of Man and mentioned the Manx cat. A more recent edition of the programme has come from Ireland.This edition of the programme mentioned how the newest member of the Countrywise team has been the programme's scientist, Charlotte Uhlenbroek, who discussed Finn MacCool when the programme was in Ireland.

In late July 2012, the programme was broadcast in Pembrokeshire, Wales, where it visited the smallest city in the United Kingdom, that of St. David's.

Idyllic Hours

Seasons4

Season 1 Episodes5

Cast1

Discussion

Episode Summary