Now the flagship reserve of the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust has a visitor centre to match. Timber built with rammed chalk walls and a turf roof, this stunning eco-friendly structure presents the unobtrusive appearance of a great, grassy bank.

In summer, the marshland area of the reserve supports a number of breeding waders, include lapwing and redshank, while common terns nest on specially created islands in the lake. Elsewhere on the reserve, chalk grassland is alive with colour as a wide variety of flowers come into bloom. These provide a habitat for a range of insects, including a number of rarer butterfly species such as the small blue. Rough grassland provide a home for breeding skylarks and shelter for small mammals, which in turn feed birds of prey such as kestrels and barn owls.

The reserve and visitor centre are open every day, from 9.30am – 5pm with last entry at 4pm.

Facilities include parking, toilets and picnic benches, with refreshments available from the visitor centre at weekends and bank holidays. Admission to the reserve and visitor centre is free.

The Trout and About festival showcases the best of local food and produce which comes directly from the farmer to the table. This is the opportunity to sample locally produced food in the pubs and restaurants and to sample and buy from producers of cheeses, meats, wine, bread and cakes who will all be selling their wares.

The day’s activities also feature farm animals, vintage tractors and modern farm machinery, ‘barley to beer’ and other food trails and stalls selling local crafts. Street entertainment and live music add to the fun.

Every year, some 20,000 visitors turn up in Thame for one of the great county shows.

The Oxfordshire County & Thame Show is renowned for entertaining everyone. Activities include competitions for sheep and cattle, horses and showjumping with some of the country’s finest riders and a Premier Dog Show which attracts an entry of approx 1000 dogs of all different types and sizes. There’s a Domestic Section with wide ranging display, a large Food Hall selling Local Produce, a Craft Hall with craftsmen and women in attendance, an indoor Shopping Mall and all sorts of Trade Stands selling all sorts of goods.

Dogs on leads are welcome to come too, but must not be left in cars.

“Beer on the farm” is the unofficial motto of the Kent Beer Festival, which is held in a large barn on a working farm just outside the city of Canterbury.

Kent has a rich brewing heritage and you’ll find beers from all twelve Kent breweries grouped together on the left-hand side of the barn. Other British beers are on offer at the other two bars. As well as real ale, the Kent Beer Festival also sells real cider and a wide range of mainly bottled foreign beers.

Bands provide live music on Thursday and Friday evenings and during the day on Saturday. The website has all the information you need on location, prices, beers and bands.

One: hire a boat and enjoy a picnic afloat

Hire a charter boat or opt for self drive and enjoy a picnic with a difference this summer: bobbing along on the River Thames. There’s something to suit every budget from wooden rowing boats to luxury cruisers. Try Runnymede-on-thames near Staines, Fringilla in Maidenhead or Beetle and Wedge in Moulsford.

Two: take a passenger boat trip

A passenger boat trip is the perfect way to take in the stunning scenery of the River Thames. There are passenger boats operating from all major towns and cities along the rural River Thames, and with money saving offers available from Discover your River Thames, there’s no better time to jump aboard. Try Hobbs of Henley, Thames Rivercruise in Reading or Oxford River Cruises.

Three: learn to paddle a canoe

Hire a canoe for a day, weekend, or week of care-free and environmentally friendly cruising on the River Thames. Paddle along one of the finest and safest canoe touring rivers in the country, winding its way through 135 miles of traditional English countryside, with excellent connections to fine riverside camping, hotels, pubs and shopping. Try Thames Canoes in Maidenhead; they supply all the specialist equipment you need for your trip. Get 20% off with Discover your River Thames.

Four: grab a kid’s Passport to Fun

Download a kid’s ‘Passport to Fun’ from the website and enjoy a range of activities at recession busting prices this summer. The Passport entitles you to money off a range of days out from boat trips to family attractions, plus a free gift for everyone who collects just three passport stickers. There’s also an opportunity to win a year of family entertainment worth over £1000.

Five: go camping at a lock

It’s easy to see why the Environment Agency’s unique lock camp sites are picking up recommendations in national media and camping guides. You’ll discover a very different style of camping in these small and friendly sites, only accessible on foot. Dixie Wills, the author of ‘Tiny Campsites’, declared in his review: “Three cheers for whoever it was at the Environment Agency who thought it would be a good idea to use land at certain Thames locks for camping.”

All along this beautiful and tranquil stretch of water there are luxury boats for hire, providing a lazy, leisurely escape from the hurried pace of everyday life. Exchange rates favour UK holidays, so this is a good year to take advantage of some home grown delights. Choose from a traditional narrowboat fully kitted out with modern facilities, a luxury cruiser or a private charter, all perfect for romantic breaks or fun family holidays. Try Rainbow Cruisers in Staines, Oxfordshire Narrowboats in Radcot or Kris Cruisers in Datchet.

July to September is maize maze season, with mazes literally spring up at farms and farm centres, most of which have additional attractions on site.
Clever designs, miles of paths, viewing points, quiz trails and even refreshments provided within the maze makes these wonderfully interactive puzzles hugely entertaining. Evenings of exploration by torchlight add to the fun. Most mazes are located at Farm Centres which have other, permanent attractions on site.

In South East England, this year’s maize mazes are as amazing as ever.

Set in 10 acres of maize field, the maze at Millets Farm Centre near Abingdon in Oxfordshire created a real stir in 1997 as the first of its kind in the UK. Like all maize mazes, the crop is harvested for animal feed in September, allowing a fresh start and a fresh theme for the following season. The 2010 Millets Farm maze opens on 16 July on a CLOWNIN’ ABOUT theme, designed in the shape of two clown faces, complete with bald heads, round noses, bow ties and flower button hole!

Also well-established, in its 13th year, the 2010 maze at Tulleys Farm near Crawley in West Sussex opens on 10th July on a Medieval Theme. Giant mazes in Kent and Hampshire both celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain with spectacular mazes on a Spitfire theme. The Haguelands Village Maz at Romney March in Kent opens on 10th July. The Manydown Maze near Basingstoke in Hampshire opens on 17th July.

In Buckinghamshire, the 2010 Magical Mystery maze at Lacey Green near High Wycombe is open from 23rd July.

This weekend of 3rd and 4th July sees two days of face painting, story telling and other activities and marks the start of a month of fun and games at Mottisfont Abbey on the Beatrix Potter theme.

Activities include a Peter Rabbit self-guided Trail around the grounds and the Beatrix Potter Exhibition of original water colour prints. The Trail runs until 31st July and the exhibition closes on 30th September.

Young visitors will also enjoy session of Beatrix Potter Story Time and Mr McGregor’s Garden Time, held on various dates this month.

Check the website for details of these and other events at Mottisfont including open-air theatre, guided walks and talks and more activity days and trails planned for the school holidays.

Organised by the National Trust in partnership with Surrey Gourmet Catering, the first Surrey Produce Festiva is not “just another Farmer’s Market”. The concept of the festival is to See – Taste – Buy. All stallholders will embrace this theme, so will bring things for visitors to see or be shown. This could include raw ingredients, traditional tools to make products, or the processes and stages involved in production. There will also be abundant samples for visitors to taste, and chances for people to buy these wonderful products from our local producers.

Local producers will be bringing with them beers and wines, cakes and fudges, sausages and meats, fish and shellfish, eggs and cheeses, curries, relishes and preserves. And many more. Don’t miss the BBQ chicken stall, offering free range Surrey chicken in 10 types of marinade!

There will also be a series of demonstrations, including local Surrey chef Tom Turvill. In the morning, Tom will be showing how different cuts of Surrey lamb can be used at home, and in the afternoon he’ll be working with Surrey Pork. Tom will be showing how to cook these meats, with plenty of opportunities for visitors to see, try, taste and be inspired by recipe ideas.

The festival will be taking place on the Donkey Green at the top of Box Hill, between 10am and 4pm. Admission is free. There will be plenty of food and drink to see, taste and buy.

Over the past four years Bedgebury Forest has become South East England’s premier off-road cycling venue. To celebrate this success and to highlight the health and fitness as well as the leisure benefits of cycling, Bedgebury is hosting a Festival of Cycling over the weekend of Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th July.

The event will run from 10am till 4pm each day (Bedgebury will be open as usual from 8am – 8pm). It will involve free coaching sessions, Enduro races and Skill Development Activities (learn a new trick) organised by British Cycling and the Bedgebury Forest Cycle Club, with the assistance of Bedgebury Cycle Coach Ollie Ireland. Kent Air Ambulance will also be organising a fund-raising treasure hunt round the Family Cycle Trail on Sunday. Quench Cycles will be offering return vouchers and bike maintenance demonstrations. Marin will be showcasing their range of bikes.

Apart from the usual car parking fee of £8, the event is free of charge. Timings for coaching sessions and races are available on the Bedgebury website – http://www.forestry.gov.uk/bedgebury or Bedgebury Forest Cycle Club – http://www.boarsonbikes.co.uk.

Each of three National Trails which come with our South East region has bags of character. The most ancient route of all is the Ridgeway National Trail, which follows the crest of downs and hills for much of its 87 miles en route from Avebury in Wiltshire to finish with final flourish at panoramic Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire. The Thames Path National Trail tracks the greatest river in England for 184 miles passing through peaceful water meadows, unspoilt rural villages and historic towns and cities of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Surrey en route from its source in the Cotswolds to London and the sea. The lovely Cotswold Way National Trail also touches on Oxfordshire as it follows the Cotswold escarpment for 100 miles from Chipping Camden down to Bath.
The whole length of these Trails is open to walkers and horse riders and cyclists may also use specially designated sections of the paths. All three Trails take in superb scenery and historic sites and are well marked to ensure that we don’t get lost.
All are ideal for an afternoon’s stroll, a weekend break or a full scale ramble from end to end. To work up to the full ramble (or work up an appetite for Sunday lunch) take advantage of the many guided walks found in the Events section of the trail websites, which often include scenic or historic highlights of the trails. The websites also have all the information you need to plan longer walks, including details of distances, places to eat, accommodation and transport available for the return trip.
For a quick route to choosing other wonderful walks in South East England, take a look at the excellent selections presented on county websites for Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex.

From the website of the Surrey Wildlife Trust:

“European otters are considered to be “Near Threatened” which means that although their range is increasing, particularly in Britain, the population is still fragile. Numbers could easily collapse as they did in the past mainly through hunting, the use of industrial & agricultural pesticides and habitat destruction.

Every adoption will help to provide funds for our Otters & Rivers Project Officer to carry out improvements to riverbanks, build artificial otter homes for otters to rest and breed in and to work with landowners to improve the river corridors so that otters can move around the county more easily.

By adopting an otter with Surrey Wildlife Trust you will be contributing to our vital conservation work and helping to protect this charismatic animal.
Adopt an otter packs cost £18.50 (incl. p&p) and include a personalised adoption certificate, otter fact sheet, FSC Guide to British Land Mammals, and an otter soft toy, photograph, sticker and badge. Recipients also receive two newsletters a year on how their money helps support the Otters & Rivers Project.”

To adopt an otter call Sophie Mariner on 01483 795442 or email sophie.mariner@surreywt.org.uk

COUNTRYSIDE 2010 celebrates the wonderful variety of our native wildlife, one of the greatest pleasures of the countryside.

Nature reserves managed by the RSPB and by wildlife trusts in Buckinghamshire, Berkshire & Oxfordshire, Hampshire & the Isle of Wight, Kent, Surrey and Sussex are inspiring places to start. Some are secret and secluded; others boast such facilities as visitor centres; all are fascinating and informative.

The National Trust, Forestry Commission and Natural England also play a key role in managing nature reserves and other special habitats which offer a wonderful window on the world of wildlife and help preserve our natural heritage for future generations.

Visit their websites to find out more about their many conservation projects, the benefits of their various membership schemes and to check on their forthcoming events, designed to open our eyes to the magic of the local flora and fauna.

The COUNTRYSIDE 2010 fortnight of discovery provided a taste of what these organisations will have in store: from bat walks and bug hunts to bird and badger watches, wildlife workshops, photographic safaris or fully-fledged wildlife festivals, there will be plenty of pleasures in store.

If you thought that a wildlife park was just for animals, a garden just for plants or a railway just for trains, the visitor attractions of South East England will make you think again.

Throughout the summer, attractions all around the region will be staging a lively variety of special activities and events to keep everyone coming back for more.

Many of them joined in the COUNTRYSIDE 2010 fortnight of discovery to give us a taste of what they offer: jousting tournaments, garden tours, teddy bears’ picnics, craft demonstrations, food and flower shows, open air theatre, discovery trails, wine tasting, steam days, firework displays and more.

There was fun and games at Leeds Castle& and Hever Castle, Blenheim and Beaulieu the historic railway centres at Quainton and Didcot ; Marwell Wildlife, Stansted Park and Exbury Gardens and at National Trust properties, where activities ranged from dining in magnificent Stowe Landscape Gardens to llama walking at Claremont or baking bread and cookies at Guildford’s Shalford Mill.

There’s plenty more fun to come on high days and holidays at these and other venues around the region. Keep an eye on the Events Calendar which will be adding new entries from now on and visit attractions’ own websites to see everything they have in store.

Exhilarating, rewarding or just a lot of fun, outdoor activities in the countryside make the most of this great leisure resource.

COUNTRYSIDE 2010 showcases many way of getting to grips with the great outdoors. Try mountain boarding, the UK’s fastest growing sport, at centres near Chichester in West Sussex or at Redhill in Surrey. Have a crack at Clay Pigeon Shooting near Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire or hawking in Hampshire or Surrey .

Nordic Walking is also gaining followers fast. Keep up to date with organisers who offered free taster sessions for the COUNTRYSIDE 2010 discovery fortnight in Hampshire, Surrey and East Sussex.

Longridge in Buckinghamshire is a popular place for whole families to whet their appetite for watersports. Family days here provide a choice of activities both on and around the waters of the River Thames. Bewl Water in Kent is one of the UK’s prime locations for watersports. Have A Go Days at the Bewl Water Outdoor Centre are an excellent introduction to sailing and canoeing and the centre can also arrange instruction in rock climbing at nearby Harrison Rocks. If you find you have a head for heights, Go Ape and spend some tribe time swinging through the forest or climb to the top of the tree – literally – with Goodleaf on the Isle of Wight.

For the ultimate bird’s eye view, take a trial gliding lesson at clubs in Bicester or Banbury in Oxfordshire or Storrington in Sussex. This unforgettable experience combines the thrill of flying the glider with breathtaking views over the countryside from a height of up to 2,000ft.

Our Event Directory has showcased hundreds of activities and events taking place during the COUNTRYSIDE 2010 discovery fortnight – and there are plenty more to come.

This website will continue to bring you news of things to do and places to go in the countryside of South East England throughout the summer. Keep visiting the site for blogs, Bright Ideas and details of forthcoming events and for early news of next year’s super showcase, COUNTRYSIDE 2011.

COUNTRYSIDE 2010 is all about introducing new ways of enjoying the great outdoors. Cycling is one of the most rewarding ways of exploring the countryside, yet many of us can be a little bit timid about taking the plunge.

Once you’ve made the first few tentative turns of your pedals, you’ll quickly appreciate how easy and enjoyable cycling can be. Whether you are new to cycling, or returning to it, you’ll find there are friendly clubs throughout the region who offer a range of “Get on Your Bike” group rides to suit all abilities, from beginners or children as young as five to experienced riders who are keen to get further a-field.

You are welcome to come along on a ride and see how you like it and, if you want to continue, then you would usually be expected to join the club.

Our COUNTRYSIDE 2010 Event Directory featured details of bike rides organised by Cycle Touring Clubs in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Kent, Oxfordshire, North Hampshire, South Hampshire, West Surrey and West Sussex.

Just visit their websites for up-to-date information on their programmes, then go along and enjoy the ride.

Take advantage of this year’s special promotion to enjoy the attractions, activities and family fun that make the River Thames a wonderful playground for everyone.

Discover your River Thames 2010 promotes a range of special offers including money-off passenger boat trips at main towns along the river, child goes-free-at leading riverside attractions, great deals on boat hire (skippered or self drive) plus a programme of events and open days throughout the summer.

Download vouchers to claim the special discounts and the children’s Passport to Fun, which gives entry to a Grand Draw, with prizes worth over £1,000.

Explore the rest of the website for the ideas that will inspire your trip. You’ll find information on everything you need here, from key towns and attractions to where to hire a boat, have a picnic or take a break.

If you’ve every wondered what goes on behind that hedge, or in that farmyard, Open Farm Sunday is your chance to find out. Farms throughout the UK will be open for a variety of tours, tastings and other family friendly activities to show us just what it means to be a farmer today. Entry to the majority of farms is free.

Like The Old Dairy East Sussex many Open Days offer the opportunity to meet the animals, take a farm walk, inspect the farm machinery, watch demonstrations such as sheep sheering and tuck into delicious foods produced right there on the farm.

Open Farm Sunday is also the chance to learn more about farmers’ care of the countryside and environment. For example, the Open Day at King’s Manor Farm at Freshwater on the Isle of Wight, introduces visitors to one of the most exciting environmental schemes on the south coast of England.

Organic farming and food production are explained at Elm Farm, near Newbury, home of The Organic Research Centre while at Shabden Park Estate, at Chipstead , the Surrey Wildlife Trust are leading a walk at to show how farming practices adopted there are benefiting the wildlife.

The annual opening of artists’ studios around South East England is an enormously popular event. Artists and craftspeople in different parts of the region open their studios to the public or put on joint exhibitions to present their work, to give demonstrations and to chat to visitors about what they do.

A wide range of original works are for sale and entry to the studios and exhibitions is usually free. Many to the studios and venues are in rural settings and the subjects of much of the work on show reflects artists’ interest in their local countryside.

This last weekend of COUNTRYSIDE 2010 marks the start of the 25th Bucks Open Studios, which runs from 12th – 27th June. 400 artists and makers are exhibiting their work in over 150 different venues across Buckinghamshire. Entries in the Event Directory for Bucks Open Studios at Obsidian Art, near Aylesbury and The Gallery at Tingewick near Buckingham will give you a taste of what’s in store.

In Kent and East Sussex, artists’ studios are also open for South East Open Studios until 20th June. These Directory entries for the SEOS Taster Art Exhibition near Tonbridge in Kent and the Artists Open Studio at Wilsley Green near Cranbrook in Kent are both excellent introductions to the range and quality of work that has made South East Open Studios a most prestigious and enjoyable event.

The South of England Show, at Ardingly in West Sussex, is one of the biggest agricultural and countryside events in the calendar.

With arena displays, livestock, showjumping and events, food and farming halls, demonstrations and more, it’s easy to see why this highly entertaining three-day event attracts 90,000 visitors from the UK and further afield.

Natural England / Tina Stallard

The Ridgeway National Trail follows ancient landscapes for 87 miles, from Avebury in Wiltshire to Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire. From Avebury, it follows the same route used since prehistoric times by travelers, herdsmen and soldiers, emerging from the chalk hills and woodlands of the Chilterns to the panoramic viewpoint at Ivinghoe Beacon.

National Trail leaders are conducting two guided walks in Buckinghamshire on 13th June to explore highlights of this very scenic trail. The 11-mile walk through Ashridge Estate is a chance to enjoy the wonderful panorama from Ivinghoe Beacon. The walk from Whiteleaf, near Princes Risborough, looks at the chalkland flowers and woodland plants of the Chilterns, many of which were used in the past for cures and potions. Experts and white witches are welcome!

To whet your appetite, here are six of the best indoor attractions selected from the Event Directory.

In rural Buckinghamshire, Milton’s Cottage
has lost none of its charm since John Milton (1608-1674) came here to escape the London plague and to finish his epic poem, Paradise Lost. Little changed since Milton’s knew it, the cottage is now a museum of his work and times.

The Pendon Indoor Model Village and Railways in Oxfordshire recaptures, in detailed and colourful miniature, scenes showing the beauty of the English countryside of the 1930s, complete with model railways.

Surrey’s Rural Life Centre at Farnham is a mine of information on agricultural heritage. It presents implements and artifacts from 150 years of farming in a lovely ten acre setting of woods and fields.

Eling Tide Mill, in Hampshire, harnesses the power of the tide to grind wheat into wholemeal flour. It is a rare chance to visit one of the only tide mills in the world which still produces flour daily in a 900 year old tradition.

At the Cowper & Newton Museum, at Olney in Buckinhamshire,
you can explore the houses and garden where leading poet William Cowper (1731-1800) lived next door to John Newton, the slave-trader turned preacher who wrote many famous hymns, including Amazing Grace.

A Country Life – Remembering Rural Surrey is a glimpse of the past captured through objects and paintings from the late 19th century, which remind us of an earlier Surrey, the countryside and its customs. The exhibition continues at Guildford Museum until 3rd July.

Cycling is one of the most rewarding ways of exploring the countryside, yet many of us can feel a bit timid about taking the plunge or getting back in the saddle.

A group bike ride can provide the answer. Whether you are new to cycling, or returning to it, you’ll find there are friendly clubs throughout South East England who offer a range of “Get on Your Bike” group rides to suit all abilities, from beginners to experienced riders who are keen to get further a-field. You are welcome to come along on a ride and see how you like it and, if you want to continue, only then do you join the club.

The COUNTRYSIDE 2010 Event Directory has details of bike rides taking place in several counties on or before 13th June, many of which are an ideal introduction for new riders who would like to enjoy the lovely countryside, some gentle exercise and a breath of fresh air.

There are “Get on Your Bike” rides organised by local Cycle Touring Clubs in Berkshire, East Sussex, Kent, North Hampshire, Oxfordshire, South Hampshire, West Surrey and West Sussex.

All of these clubs have ongoing programmes, so you can carry on pedalling well beyond COUNTRYSIDE 2010.

There’s time to catch a superb spectacle at Exbury Gardens, on the edge of the New Forest. The gardens are famous for their amazing displays of colour, created by the rhododendrons and azaleas of the magnificent Rothschild Collection.

This weekend, 5 & 6 June, is Petal Fall Weekend. Children accompanied by paying adults are admitted to Exbury free of charge, to gather up armfuls of the wonderful petals for a giant collage made by members of flower arranging societies. A great time is had by all!

Discover your River Thames on a cool and leisurely boat ride or pack a picnic and hire your own boat for anything from an hour to a whole day.

Take up special offers on passenger boat trips from” Maidenhead Steam at Taplow”:http://www.countryside2010.org.uk/events/special-boating-offers-from-maidenhead-steam or 20% off regular public river trips run by French Brothers, who operate from Windsor.

One child goes free with every fare-paying adult on public passenger boat trips run by Hobbs of Henley, on Thames River Cruises from Reading and on any of Oxford River Cruises scheduled public trips from the City of Dreaming Spires. If you are out and about in Surrey, take advantage of the 20% off boat trips from Guildford Boathouse on the River Wey.

The Beetle & Wedge Boathouse, on a lovely, secluded stretch of the Oxfordshire Thames is offering a 20% discount on all boat & picnic bookings during Countryside 2010. You also can enjoy a discount when you hire a canoe from Thames Canoes, hire an electric boat with a skipper from Fringilla, or hire a choice of different boats for a full day from Cotswolds Boat Hire near Lechlade.

The three-day Ale & Music Festival at Sompting, in West Sussex,
kicks off tomorrow, 4th June. This is the first event of the hugely popular Adur Festival which runs until 20th June.

Throughout the two weeks of the Festival, the whole district comes alive with over 100 varied events, performances, exhibitions, workshops, arts and entertainment for all the family. Activities and events take place in the towns and their surrounding villages and countryside, so everyone gets a taste of the countryside whilst enjoying the celebrations

Enjoy a real country close-up with these Springwatch events, then browse the COUNTRYSIDE 2010 Event Directory for details of hundreds more walks and wildlife activities that are happening during this holiday fortnight:

The Springwatch Wild Day Out at Aston Rowant National Nature Reserve near Watlington, in Oxfordshire, takes place on 5th June. It’s a fun and wildlife filled day out for all the family, with lots of free activities, walks and crafts to help you discover nature and the countryside. Plus a Vicar of Dibley Celebrity Guest appearance!

It’s all happening in West Sussex on 5th & 6th June. The Springwatch Weekend with the RSPB at Pulborough Brooks, near Arundel, has a great mix of activities, all designed to get you out and about and enjoy the nature around you. All activities are free; you just pay the normal nature trail entry fee.

Brighton’s Springwatch Festival on 6th June will be a really big event. Organised by the Sussex Wildlife Trust with Brighton and Hove City Council, it’s another fantastic, free family day out: the perfect chance to find out more about the local wildlife that lives in the City, on the downs and in our woodlands and the huge variety of aquatic creatures that live in our seas, rivers and rockpools.

Springwatch at Cinderhill Woods Nature Reserve at Matfield in Kent is happening on 12th June. You can explore the woods on trails and guided rides, weave a bird feeder, build a bug house or bird box and more. Admission is free.

As the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity, the Woodland Trust is a mine of bright ideas that add interest and inspiration to every walk in the woods.

The children’s Nature Detectives section of their website has 100s of games, activities and ideas for free days out to ensure your next family trip is action-packed fun. You can download free sheets and booklets to keep the kids busy with a huge range of absorbing activities, from ladybird dominos to hunting animal tracks, a bumble bee adventure or making a kite.

Grown ups enjoy their full share of the entertainment, armed with information on such subjects as how to take photographs, spot species, pack the perfect picnic or hunt for ancient trees.

The Trust itself has more than 1,000 woodland sites in the UK, of which over 200 are in the South East. All of them are free to visit. Simply search the Find a Wood section of the website to find a choice of woods near you. Each entry presents plenty of information including pictures, interactive maps and more.

Tucked away in the Sussex countryside Farley Farm House conjures up an extraordinary atmosphere that testifies to its position as a meeting place for some of the key personalities in twentieth century art.

In 1949 Surrealists Lee Miller (photographer) and Roland Penrose (artist) moved to Farley Farm House in Sussex. The house soon became the meeting place of some of the key figures of modern art including Picasso, Man Ray, Max Ernst and Joan Miró. Their work is now displayed throughout the house giving visitors a fabulous insight into the lives and art of Miller, Penrose and their friends

For more information please see the listing in the Event Directory.

The COUNTRYSIDE 2010 Event Directory features details of garden openings, activities and shows all around the region. Start browsing here ….

It’s Plant Hunters Family Activity Week at Nymans in West Sussex from now until 30th May. The Sculpture Garden at Birtley House in Surrey is open until 31st May and you can visit Enid Blyton’s cottage garden in Buckinghamshire on 30th May and 6th & 13th June.

Enjoy an evening walk with gardener at Greys Court in Oxfordshire on 4th June, a tour with the head gardener of Penshurst Place in Kent on 4th & 5th June or with the gardener at Buckinghamshire’s Hughenden Manor on 10th June.

The Kent Garden Show takes place at Maidstone from 29th May – 31st June, and The Garden Show at Stanstead Park runs from 11th – 13th June.

For spectacular colour and delicious fragrance, don’t miss Petal Fall Weekend at Exbury Gardens in the New Forest on 12th June or Special Rose Weekend at Pashley Manor Gardens in East Sussex from 11th – 13th June.

There are also lots of secret, private gardens open for charity throughout South East England as part of the National Gardens Scheme. The COUNTRYSIDE 2010 Event Directory presents details of selected gardens in particularly lovely rural locations and villages where several gardens are open on the same day.

Survival expert John Rhyder and his Woodcraft School are specialist providers of high quality bushcraft courses in the UK. Its sister company the Woodcraft Foundation reinvests profits back into the community for the purposes of education and environmental awareness.

As “guinea pigs” to test up-and-coming instructors at the Woodcraft School, you will learn a variety of skills ranging from making fire and finding water, to making shelters. Each day is different as the programme is defined by the students as part of their training. These days have limited places and are offered on a first come first served basis.

These events have limited places and are on a first come first served basis.

For more details please see the listing in the Events Directory

We are surrounded by plants, traditionally used in food, textiles and medicines. These Herb Walks at Chilham are an opportunity to find out which plants can be made into home remedies and used to treat common ailments.

Discover the history, folklore and medicinal properties of plants growing in Kent. A series of Herb Walks at Chilham, given by local practicing Medical Herbalist Milena Moore.

Common herbs that can be spotted and discussed include elderflower, nettle, plantain, horsetail, comfrey, willow, eyebright, St john’s wort, hawthorn and mint. Your can also bring plants from your garden which the herbalist will identify and, should it possess some, give its medicinal properties.

When It’s Happening:
Saturday, June 5th: 11am
Sunday, June 6th: 2pm
Saturday, June 12th: 11am

For full details please see the listing in the Event Directory

Browse the Event Directory for a county-by-county showcase of events and activities taking place in the countryside of South East England this half term.

Catch a Springwatch Festival, the dawn chorus, a village ceilidh or the Surrey County Show. Book in for a twilight bat hunt, a boat ride or a battlefield tour. Try a taster session of fishing, gliding or paragliding, canoeing, mountain boarding or therapeutic Nordic walking. Join tours, tastings and open days at farms, vineyards, windmills and artists’ studios. Go seal spotting or fossil hunting; swing through the treetops or climb an oak. Enjoy cycle rides, gardens and glorious guided walks galore.

There’s plenty in the Directory to keep everyone entertained!

The bluebell season was slow to start in many parts of South East England this year and the cool shade provided by rich woodlands sheltered displays from the fierce heat of the weekend.

As a result, in many places, magical carpets of bluebells are still in flower. This is the time to catch them in their final glory.

The top tip is to head for the Chiltern Hills, where ancient beechwoods provide the setting for countless spectacular displays. The visitor website for the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty will set you on the right woodland track.

You can still find Bluebell Watch on the National Trust website – always a first stop for outdoor options. A quarter of their woodland is ancient or semi-natural – ideal for bluebells. There’s also time to catch the finale of the Ramblers Bluebell Strolls Season of guided walks. Their expert-led walks are free, open to all, and offer a chance to see some of Britain’s most beautiful woodland and countryside at its loveliest.

Most visitors to the peaceful Oxfordshire countryside will find it hard to imagine it being the scene of fierce fighting and bloody battles. In June 1643, it was a different story as the Civil War saw the country divided by fire and sword.

Chalgrove was the scene of a battle between leading Parliamentarian John Hampden and King Charles I’s nephew Prince Rupert. The parliamentarians were defeated and Hampden, one of the great champions of parliamentary democracy, fatally wounded. On Sunday 6th June, as part of Countryside 2010, the Battlefields Trust is organising a walk visiting the site.

The walk is approximately 2 miles long across open fields. If it is wet then good boots are required. If hot and sunny then hats and water are a must. See the listing in the event directory for more details.

The circular trail leads from Botley to Hamble incorporating Royal Victoria Country Park, Netley and Bursledon. The walk, of around 15 miles is of easy to moderate walking, takes in woodland, farmland, Manor Farm Country Park, picturesque old villages, attractions and superb views of the River Hamble.

As part of COUNTRYSIDE 2010, the Hamble Valley Heritage Guides will be leading a guided-walk of the Strawberry Trail on Sunday 6th June. The knowledgeable Heritage Guides will provide interesting background information on attractions and snipets of history and quirky facts and tales such as those at Netley Abbey ruins. Much of the trail follows the River Hamble, an important natural area as the mudflat and salt marsh habitats found alongside the river support a number of different plants and animals. The River Hamble also a long history in boats and boat-building, and has been used for ship building and as a Naval anchorage since the 14th century, although is now renowned as a base for recreational boating.

See the events page for more information and details how to book your space on The Strawberry Trail.

Visit www.hamblevalley.com for more information on the Hamble Valley.

Thanks to TV wildlife programmes, bats and badgers have lots of fans. Now COUNTRYSIDE 2010 provides the perfect opportunity to catch up with these creatures of the night in their natural habitat.

Grab a torch for evening bat walks in Buckinghamshire, Surrey and Oxfordshire, accompanied by a knowledgeable guide and a bat detector. Book early too for Badger Watching walks and talks in Buckinghamshire, Surrey and West Sussex. Places at these events are going fast!

Badger Walk and Talk in Berkhamsted, Buckinghamshire
Badger Watching at Leith Hill, Dorking, Surrey
Badgers: Biology and Observation – Sussex Wildlife Trust, Rusper, West Sussex
Meet The Gatton Park Badgers, Reigate, Surrey
Bats & Beasts of the Night, Spade Oak Nature Reserve, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
Brooklands Lake Bat Walk, Dartford, Kent

The Sussex House Party just outside the village of Laughton in East Sussex, is the setting for a unique series of events to promote writing and writers. Set in the rural home of professional writers and academics Gilly Smith and Jed Novick, The Sussex House Party hosts long weekend writers’ retreats, retreats and dinner parties with published authors, where writers and guests chat informally over a three course feast of home cooked food.

During COUNTRYSIDE 2010 Gilly and Jed are opening the paddock for a summer camp for writers and would be writers of all ages on the weekend of June 5/6th.

You can bring your own tent or rent a bell tent, complete with sheepskin rugs and proper beds for total luxury, and feast with fellow writers on local, seasonal food.

With sessions led by writers throughout the weekend for all ages and abilities, this is a writers’ retreat for all the family.

The Chiltern Way stretches for over 125 miles, providing a waymarked scenic route around the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. On its way, it passes through many of Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire’s prettiest Chiltern villages.

The anniversary festival, which is organised by the Chiltern Society, provides a programme of walks led by their volunteers. All of the walks are open to the public – everyone is welcome. Many of the walks are free any those charges which are made are modest.

The Festival programme runs from now until October, with many of its finest walks taking place during COUNTRYSIDE 2010. Look for their entries in the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire sections of the Event Directory and continue to follow the festival throughout the summer.

Between the 29 May to the 6 June in addition to the normal hands-on exhibits at the Observatory Science Centre there will be daily telescope tours and science shows which are included in the admission price. There will be three Telescope Tours per day usually at 12pm, 2pm & 4pm and three Science Shows per day usually at 11am, 1pm & 3pm.

If you are interested in Radio Astronomy then discover more over a 5 week evening course starting this Wednesday 19 May. Our eyes are only sensitive to visible light. What would the sky look like if we could see radio waves? This introductory course on radio astronomy focuses on our solar system and what the amateur radio astronomer can achieve. No previous knowledge of astronomy or radio is necessary. The course includes a brief introduction to the history and development of radio astronomy and how it has extended the understanding of how the Universe works, together with a look at the limitations on making observations. It will look at the work of some of the major radio telescopes around the world and some of the major discoveries. You will learn how a radio telescope works and how the data is recorded including an insight into data analysis. A simple home observatory will be set up to study Jupiter, the Sun, Meteoroids and the effects of the Earth’s atmosphere. You will also be told how amateur observations play a key role in the overall understanding of our place in the Universe and be given an introduction to SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence).

Other events include half day workshops running for children including a ‘Music’ workshop and ‘Car Power’ workshops.

Expect a fun day at this family friendly club. Everyone’s welcome to dip a toe in the water. Come along and enjoy free boat trips on club boats and the sea cadet boats. There will be entertainment from a local marching band and Morris dancers, as well as stalls run by Penton Hook Marine Sales, Bridge Marine and the RNLI.

The sea cadets will be running a hog roast, and they’ll be a Pimms Bar. For more information visit the Discover your River Thames 2010 website.

The Oxfordshire Museum is set in beautiful surroundings in the heart of the historic town of Woodstock, almost next door to Blenheim Palace. In May last year, the museum unveiled its award-winning dinosaur garden, which includes a full-size replica of a megalosaur, a meat-eating dinosaur which roamed Oxfordshire around 168 million years ago. Fossilised footprints unearthed near Bichester, thought to be from the species, were also put on display.

The megalosaur was the first dinosaur – other than birds – to be described scientifically, following the discovery of part of a bone at a limestone quarry near Chipping Norton in 1676. The bone was sent to Robert Plot, professor of Chemistry at the University of Oxford and the first curator at the city’s Ashmolean Museum, who published a description in his 1677 work Natural History of Oxfordshire.

The whole family is invited to join the party for the megalosaur’s first birthday. Make plaster fossils with the assistance of staff from the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, create a dinosaur mask and make a clay dinosaur. Handle dinosaur bones with the help of the Oxford Geology Trust, dig for treasures and eat jurassic theme lunches from the museum’s cafe.

Entrance to the county council-run museum and to the event is free, but there will be small charges for some of the activities.

The Museum tells the story of Oxfordshire through 11 galleries and many exhibitions featuring history, popular culture, contemporary arts and crafts throughout the year. The Museum gardens, which contain botanical species relevant to jurassic times, received the Royal Horticultural Award for the Best Garden to Interpret Local Roots in the Thames Valley region last autumn.

Filming for the scenes in the National Trust’s Ashridge Estate took place in April last year, when crews descended to set up a small farmstead and livestock pens in the forest.

Set in superb scenery, the estate is a popular filming hot spot and in recent years has provided a backdrop for scenes in Harry Potter, EastEnders and the Robert De Niro money-spinner, Stardust.

Guided walks for COUNTRYSIDE 2010 explore the wonderful woodlands of the Ashridge Estate and take in stunning views around Ivinghoe Beacon, the panoramic viewpoint which marks the northern end of the 85 mile Ridgeway National Trail.

To join the walks, look for these two entries in the Buckinghamshire section of the Event Directory: Ashridge Woods, Aldbury & Views to the Beacon (on 30th May) and Ashridge & Ivinghoe on The Ridgeway National Trail (on 13th June).

From 10.00 – 16.00 on Sunday 16th, the Georgian market town of Alresford will be celebrating its famous local crop at the Alresford Watercress Festival.

The centrepiece is a huge food market, with cookery demonstrations from award-winning chefs and food writers. Round the corner, there’s a large Festival Market of arts, crafts, jewellery and clothing, items for house and garden and much else besides.

The street cavalcade at 10.30am is a festival highlight, with jazz musicians, Morris dancers and local school children accompanying the Watercress King and Queen atop a horse and cart distributing the first of the season’s watercress harvest to festival goers.

The “World Watercress Eating Championships” are also back by popular demand and are open to all-comers aged 18 or over. You could also take a tour of a watercress farm or a train ride on the Watercress Line between Ropley and Alresford.

It’s all happening against a backdrop of street music and dancing, with circus skills workshops, face painting, nail art, hair braiding, a magician, treasure trails, climbing wall and other activities to keep the children busy and entertained.

Now in its twelfth year, the award winning Isle of Wight Festival is a fantastic opportunity to explore the beauty of the island on foot.

Over half the Island is officially recognised as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with 60 miles of dramatic coastline, unspoilt countryside and over 500 miles of well-maintained and signposted footpaths.

The Festival makes the most of it all, with a busy programme ranging from Family Treasure Hunts to Leg-Stretchers and Round the Isle Walks. There’s plenty here for casual walkers and for the most serious boots and rucksack brigade.

Browse the Events Directory for more things happening in the Isle of Wight

If you’ve ever wanted to soar like the birds over the Sussex countryside, fly alongside buzzards and see how they soar try gliding at the Southdown Gliding Club. A trial lesson or even a day course will give you a taster and will show you the skills needed to become a fully-qualified glider pilot, launching you into a sport where you can stay aloft all day and fly for hundreds of miles.

At Wycombe Air Park near Marlow is Booker Gliding Club where you can try a flight in a two seater training gliding with one of the club’s fully qualified instructors. The club offers a range of courses from introductory to intensive designed to get you solo in the shortest possible time. If all you want to do is to try a single flight, with the chance to take control and sample the delights of the sport, then that’s possible too. Booker Gliding Club also welcomes groups.

Anyone can enjoy gliding; it’s not much more difficult than driving a car, but the view’s far better.

If you want to give gliding a try then don’t forget to enter our competition this week. You could win a British Gliding Association voucher for a trial lesson for one adult, at a choice of any participation gliding centres.

Our own Event Directory on this site presents a wonderful selection of mills in South East England that will be open for COUNTRYSIDE 2010. It’s a fascinating variety. Browse the Directory see what’s in store.

ARTSPACE, the annual art exhibition at Barn Galleries, shows off an extensive & exciting variety of artists and art forms. Over 80 professional artists will be showing their work in the gardens and the ancient timbered barns. The exhibition portfolio includes sculpture, painting, printmaking, ceramics, textiles, glass, metal work, jewellery & wood. The event is renowned for its wonderful collection of sculpture which is shown in the beautiful grounds of Barn Galleries.

A Secret Postcard Auction is one way that ARTSPACE will celebrate 20 years this May and raise money for charity. ARTSPACE artists from the past 20 years were asked to make an original postcard as a way of commemorating the 20 year anniversary. Visitors will be able to bid for their favourite cards throughout the event but they won’t know for sure which artist made their card or if they are the highest bidder until the end. It could be by a rising star such as James Naughton, a shooting star such as Mark Demsteader (large works by either of these two already sells for several thousand pounds), it could be a celebrity artist such as cartoonist Bernard Cookson or Gray Jolliffe, or it could be a little gem by a new artist. It’s all in a good cause as CLIC Sargent Caring for Children with Cancer is this year’s ARTSPACE charity.

ARTSPACE can be found at Barn Galleries, Aston, Henley RG9 3DX which is AA signed off the A4130.

Take the family to explore the rock pools and submerged forest on Pett Level beach, near Rye in East Sussex this Monday 03 May from 10.30am to noon. At low tide a number of rocks become accessible making the beach ideal for rock pooling. For more information visit www.wildrye.info

Sedlescombe Organic Vineyard’s Bluebell Walk is now open for visitors. This beautiful walk through their ancient English woodland carpeted with bluebells is a must see for anyone out and about in ’1066 Country’ near Hastings in May. The walk is part of the Vineyard & Woodland Nature Trail and Wine tasting. Self guided trail and tasting is £4.50 per adult, children free. Open 10.30am to 6pm daily. You will find it on the B2244, 7 miles north of Hastings. www.englishorganicwine.co.uk

Spectacular displays of bluebells, tulips, rhododendrons, azaleas, lilac and wisteria are amongst the treats in store at gardens that will be open for charity this first May Bank Holiday as part of the National Gardens Scheme.

A full listing of garden openings can be found in the NGS Yellow Book 2010 (available from all good book stores) or on the NGS website. The website includes a special listing of Bluebell Gardens and presents a small selection of other gardens that are bound to inspire a visit.

Their irresistible example for South East England is Old Croft in Surrey, a five-acre ‘paradise garden’ with a tropical bamboo maze, an amazing topiary buttress hedge, stream, lake, bog gardens, woodland, elevated ‘hide’ and breathtaking scenery.

Enjoy your choices this weekend and look out for details of more NGS gardens opening next Bank Holiday in our COUNTRYSIDE 2010 Event Directory.