Footprints (Pommy Harmar)
Explore every episode of Footprints
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 06 Sep 2022 | Walking Festival Magic | 00:37:18 | |
It’s September and it's time for Bathscape's wonderful annual walking festival!! The episode begins with an interview on the top of Landsdown with Stephen Bird. Stephen has recently retired from being head of Heritage Services for BaNES Council. He is very enthusiastic walker and talks about his favourite walks in Bath, the joys of long distance walking and a sponsored walk between the three UNESCO World heritage sites of Avebury, Stonehenge and Bath. He gives us the benefit of his background in heritage and archaeology and brings to life the beautiful synergy of both the heritage and the landscape of Bath. Walking festival organiser Lucy Bartlett and I meet up to hear about what this year's programme has in store for us. She also takes me on a preview walk around Bath City Farm, a magnificent place, not just for the animals, but also the woods, the fields, the ponds and the staggering views over Bath. The walk we went on has been planned with The `Cotswold National Landscape. It’s suitable for the whole family and takes place on the first day of the walking festival on September 10th. The walking festival runs from 10th - 25th September 2022 Credits Music: Audionautix Photograph: www.bathnewseum.com Produced by Pommy Harmar Links www.bathscape.co.uk/walking-festival/ www.cotswoldsaonb.org.uk www.bathcityfarm.org.uk www.naturalbristol.wordpress.com | |||
| 10 Mar 2021 | Introducing the Bathscape Walking Festival | 00:32:33 | |
Welcome to Bathscape's first Footprints Podcast! In this episode we have an interview with Bathscape Walking Festival organiser, Lucy Bartlett. She talks about what we can expect from the upcoming festival in September and how to get involved. Plus ... in our section Wise Words from Walking Women, Lucy tells me what's in her rucksack! This month it's all about gear and we discuss waterproofs, walking poles and rucksacks. And finally ... Bathscape Manager Dan Merrett takes us on a circular walk around Fox Hill, Horsecombe Vale, the two tunnels cycle path, South Stoke and a section of the Wansdyke! To find out more about Bathscape do visit the website Music Acoustic Guitar 1, Audionautix, YouTube Audio Library. Words, Audionautix, YouTube Audio Library Host and Producer: Pommy Harmar | |||
| 01 Dec 2023 | Three Grand Schemes! | 00:36:08 | |
This month we celebrate three grand projects happening in Bath - Cleveland Pools, Beckford's Tower and Bathampton Meadows. Cleveland Pools - back in 1801 a new bylaw was passed - the Bathwick Water Act. It prohibited nude bathing in the river Avon and so was born Cleveland pools because the swimmers had nowhere to swim. Cleveland Pools is only a short walk the other side of Sydney Gardens and has recently reopened to the pubic following years of planning and designing, lottery applications and of course the building works. Now, with its highly modern heat pump allowing it to be heated during the summer, it has already attracted Bath’s keen cold water swimmers. Its manager Sam Grief and some hardy swimmers bring it to life. Beckford’s Tower stands tall on the top of Lansdown, visible for miles around. It’s closed at the moment, shrouded in scaffolding and plastic while all kinds of major renovation works are carried out. It was built for William Beckford, a writer, collector and slave owner and Dr Amy Frost from the Bath Preservation Trust tells us about its complex history. We finish the episode at Bathampton Meadows which is a new acquisition for the National Trust. It is one of their 20 green corridors sitting just below Little Solsbury Hill by the river Avon. Joanna Rolfe from the National Trust tells us how it came about and what plans they have for the site. Credits Music: Audionautix Produced by Pommy Harmar Links | |||
| 01 Nov 2022 | The Wonders of Bath Stone | 00:37:30 | |
This month we find out about Bath Stone - where it was mined and who was behind it. Chief Executive Miranda Litchfield shows us around the Museum of Bath Stone which sits right on top of the now disused Combe Down Stone Mines. It's Halloween so we asked our very own batman, Dan Merrett to show us behind the scenes of the batcave and tell us what happened to the bats that made the stone mines their home. Finally we take a tour of Prior Park Landscape Gardens. Now owned by the National Trust, Prior Park Mansion was the country house belonging to Ralph Allen who funded the mining of the beautiful stone that built Georgian Bath. Volunteer Robin Dixon takes us on an informative walk around the gardens on a beautiful sunny autumn morning. Credits Music: Audionautix Produced by Pommy Harmar Links www.museumofbathstone.org www.nationaltrust.org.uk/prior-park-landscape-garden www.bathscape.co.uk www.naturalbristol.wordpress.com | |||
| 12 Feb 2024 | Bath in Film | 00:32:25 | |
For this episode you will need to grab your popcorn, dim the lights and settle down for a magical journey to the heart of the filmmaking industry in the historic city of Bath. Rachel Bowers from the Bath Film Office describes the process for bringing upwards of two hundred actors and crew into the heart of the city to film. Charlie McCLoud gives us his very own ‘Life in the day of an Extra’. Plus the Holburne Museum's Chief Operating Officer Emma Morris tells us the inside story of working in a building which famously doubled as Lady Danbury’s grand estate in the hit series Bridgerton Links Bath Film Office - www.bathfilmoffice.co.uk Holburne Museum - www.holburne.org Credits Music: Richard Frohlich Media and the Texas Radio Theatre Company. A short melody of Luigi Boccherini's minuet from his String Quintet in E, Op.13, No.6. Played by Howard Geisel Produced by Pommy Harmar | |||
| 01 Aug 2023 | What did the Romans ever do for Bath? | 00:38:12 | |
So what did the Romans ever do for Bath? Why did they come? What did they contribute? What impact did they have over the 400 or so years they were here? To find some answers, this month we travel back two thousand years. Bob Whitaker, Archaeological Adviser BACAS (Bath and Counties Archaeological Society) specialises in the Romans and describes the route they first constructed to reach Bath. He talks about the Roman lead mines in the Mendips and also the impact that geophysics has had on archaeology. We take a tour around the award-winning Roman Baths Clore Learning Centre with Lindsey Braidley, Learning and Participation Manager, and hear about the activities they have designed for local school children and community groups. Plus a local woman living in Combe Down tells us of the extraordinary find of a roman skeleton in her garden wall. Credits Music: Audionautix Produced by Pommy Harmar Links BACAS - https://www.bacas.org.uk/ Roman Baths Clore Learning Centre - https://tinyurl.com/2s3px7se | |||
| 02 Jan 2023 | A look back at the highlights of 2022 | 00:48:06 | |
Happy New Year and welcome back to Footprints! In this our first episode of the year, we look back at our highlights from 2022. More than 40 people took part in the shows last year and a huge thanks must go to them for making the episodes so fascinating and varied to listen to. They and the organisations they represent are at the very heart of the Bathscape and we will hear from many more in 2023. Clips Ep 1 February - Views of Bath: Andy Dinham whose family farmed Kelston Round Hill for decades. Ep 2 March - Death in Paradise: John Payne, local historian whose ancestors are buried in the workhouse burial ground near Wellsway. Ep 2 March - Death in Paradise: Dr Molly Conisbee on the history of the workhouse. Ep 3 April - One farm through one century: Rachel De Fossard talking about her father's dairy herd and Foot and Mouth. Ep 4 May - A path through the trees: Oliver Langdon from Kilter Theatre Company in the character of January, taking us through the wassailing ceremony at Bath City Farm. Ep 5 June - Paddling the canals of Bath: Patrick Moss (Chair) and Derrick Hunt (Committee Member) from the Somersetshire Coal Canal Society. Ep 6 July - Spotting beavers on the river Avon: Bevis Watts, CEO Triodos Bank paddles me up and down beaver alley - do we spot a beaver? Ep 7 August - Meadows, seeds and yellow rattle: Paul Pearce Bath Parks Dept talking about the state of wildlife and the importance of meadows. Ep 8 September - Walking Festival magic: Stephen Bird, former Head of Heritage Services Bath, on his passion for walking. Ep 9 October - Community Growers: Claire Loader, co-founder of Bloomin' Whiteway and Rachel Spence, co-founder of the Peace Path in Whiteway. Ep 10 November - The wonders of Bath stone: Miranda Litchfield, CEO Museum of Bath Stone showing me around the museum. Ep 11 December - Tourism in Bath, past and present: Kirsten Elliot, local historian guiding me through a day in the life of a Georgian visitor to Bath. Contributors throughout 2022 Di Sheppard, Landscape Architect, Bath and North East Somerset Council Andy Dinham, retired farmer, Kelston Round Hill Dick Bateman, local historian, Kelston Round Hill Billie Brocklehurst, Brocks Outdoor Adventures Barry Cox, Cotswold Warden Nicole Daw, Cotswolds National Landscape Rob Kendall, Cotswold Warden & Little Solsbury Commoner John Bartram, Cotswold Warden & Chair of the Cotswold Way Association Richard White, lecturer Bath Spa University, creator ‘Walking the Names’ project Bathscape volunteers John Payne, local historian and writer Dr Molly Conisbee, Researcher, University of Bristol Marianne Brunt, granddaughter of first owners of Manor Farm, Langridge Rachel de Fossard, daughter of family of farmers, Manor Farm, Langridge Donald MacIntyre, current owner and farmer, Manor Farm, Langridge Jane Lipington, current owner and farmer, Manor Farm, Langridge Laurie MacIntyre, daughter of current owner and farmer, Manor Farm, Langridge Fiona Bell, Tree trail enthusiast Joe Middleton, Woodland Trust site manager Oliver Langdon, Kilter Theatre Company Tom Sheppard, High Sheriff of Somerset Councillor June Player, Mayor of Bath Patrick Foss (Chair) and Derrick Hunt (Committee member) Somersetshire Coal Canal Society Julian Stirling, Claverton Pumping Station Bevis Watts, CEO Triodos Bank Alison Peach, Bath resident and ottercam operator Anna Baker, Director, Cleveland Pools Project Anita Breeze and Chris Kinchin-Smith, Directors of... | |||
| 08 Sep 2021 | Getting excited about the festival! | 00:24:41 | |
This is the first of a two-parter for September! It's only a few days until the festival starts and we hear all about it from the festival's tireless planner and organiser Lucy Bartlett. There are 73 walks on offer this year with something for everyone from social history to postcard-making to long rambles through Bath's beautiful countryside. Sign up now HERE! Where do walking festivals originate? I dig down a little and discover Hebden Bridge Walkers Action group are behind the Walkers Are Welcome initiative which has led to the development of more than 150 walking festivals around the UK. I decided to try out recording a walk for this episode and I chose the self-guided walk devised by the Cleveland Pools project. Download the walk here and also find volunteers talking about the Cleveland Pools restoration project on Saturday 11th September from 11-3pm at Kensington Meadows. Bathscape Walking Festival timetable is here. Music Acoustic Guitar 1, Audionautix, YouTube Audio Library. Words, Audionautix, YouTube Audio Library Host and Producer: Pommy Harmar | |||
| 03 May 2022 | A path through the trees | 00:34:40 | |
This episode is all about trees! We find out about Bath's plans for a series of tree trails and meet the trees in Hedgemead Park with tree enthusiast Fiona Bell. Woodland Trust site manager Joe Middleton gives us his expert knowledge and experience with ash dieback. And we go wassailing at Bath City Farm with 'January' played by Oliver Langdon from Kilter Theatre Company. Tom Sheppard, High Sheriff of Somerset and Cllr June Player, Mayor of Bath make an appearance. For more information about Bathscape visit www.bathscape.co.uk Credits Music: Audionautix Produced by Pommy Harmar Links
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| 03 Feb 2023 | Living Working Bath | 00:37:48 | |
In this episode we delve into Bath’s social history exploring the world of work and housing from the industrial revolution right up to the present day. We set the scene with Stuart Burroughs - Stuart has been the Director of the Museum of Bath at Work for the last 30 years. In a nutshell the museum celebrates the city’s commercial development since Roman times. The photographic exhibition along with some amazing reconstructed workplaces and workshops are all beautifully exhibited at the museum which opens again at weekends from 18th February 2023. Twerton artist Diana Ahmed shows me around Twerton high street and talks about the public art project she carried out with local schools to improve her neighbourhood. In our final feature we explore a housing estate on the south side of the city just above Twerton. Mark Batterham takes us on a walking history tour of the post-war Moorlands estate. He co-created this walk with fellow walk leader and co-researcher Dave Pearce. The design of the Moorlands estate has been praised by architects and planners for its emphasis on space and light. The Bath Chronicle excitedly reported how 'the living rooms of the houses will face south and have a sun terrace outside'. To put it in context, when this estate was built, four out of ten British households had no fixed bath, well over a third had outside toilets and under half had a hot water tap. Credits Music: Audionautix Produced by Pommy Harmar Photo credit: Moorlands estate, Mark Batterham Links www.bath-at-work.org.uk diana@peoplercommunity www.naturalbristol.wordpress.com With thanks to the National Heritage Lottery for funding the podcast. | |||
| 01 Jul 2022 | Beaver spotting with Bevis Watts | 00:39:51 | |
July's episode is a fabulous exploration of the River Avon. Listen closely to see if we spot beavers! Part 2 of our canals and river explorations takes us looking for beavers with Bevis Watts, CEO of Triodos Bank, ex CEO Avon WIldlife Trust. Also we venture into Alison Peach's garden to see where otters come to visit from the depths of the river. Anna Baker tells us about the Cleveland Pools Project where the fully restored pools will soon be open to the public and which from spring 2023 will be heated by a heat pump using river water. Credits Music: Audionautix Produced by Pommy Harmar Links Ottercam YouTube Channel: Otters on Avon
Bevis Watts. River Journey, searching for wild beavers and finding freedom, Tangent Press, published 1st July 2022
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| 07 Jun 2024 | Bath City Farm | 00:41:02 | |
This month's episode celebrates Bath CIty Farm. Situated on a beautiful 37-acre site with stunning views over the city, Bath City Farm is a working farm, that’s also a much loved visitor attraction. On the site there is a community cafe and farm shop, farm animals, children’s playground, woodland and nature trails. Entrance is free however donations are very welcome. In this episode you will meet a varitety of farm animals with livestock coordinator Ella Holmes. And on the way we will talk to: Sarah Davies, Programme Lead for Mental Health Brendan Tate-Wistreich, Director Amy Nelson, Roots to Work Coordinator Sarah Prettejohns, Cafe Lead Roots to Work Luke Roberts, Horticultural Assistant Credits Music: Audionautix Produced by Pommy Harmar Links Bath City Farm - www.bathcityfarm.org.uk Bathscape - www.bathscape.co.uk | |||
| 14 Apr 2021 | Navigating Bath from west to east | 00:36:43 | |
Welcome to Bathscape's April Footprints Podcast! In this episode we start in the west of Bath and meet up with Jim Hardman, local community-minded, outdoor enthusiast from Whiteway. He talks about what he loves about the area and how it’s changed over the years. Plus ... in our section Wise Words from Walking Women, Lucy tells me how not to get lost! This month it's maps, apps, books and all things navigation. And finally ... National Trust Ranger Tabi Collins guides us on a circular walk up and down the steep south-eastern slopes of the city, taking in Rainbow Wood, Popes Walk and Bath Abbey Cemetery. To find out more about Bathscape do visit the website Also Bath City Nature Challenge info is here and the Julian House Circuit of Bath info is here Music Acoustic Guitar 1, Audionautix, YouTube Audio Library. Words, Audionautix, YouTube Audio Library Host and Producer: Pommy Harmar | |||
| 05 May 2024 | Birding in Bath | 00:39:31 | |
This episode is published on International Dawn Chorus Day which takes place on the first Sunday of May every year and this year it’s Sunday May 5th. It is a worldwide celebration of nature's greatest symphony and in this show we want to celebrate birds in general, the birds of Bath and their incredible songs. One of the main reasons that birds like to sing at dawn is that it’s quieter then, the air is usually very still and birdsong has been shown to carry 20 times further at dawn. Remember you don't have to head out to a nature reserve, you can always just open your window - and listen. The episode starts off very early one morning just behind Sydney gardens with expert bird listener Lucy Starling who was keen to find out whether a pair of sedge warblers had returned to nest in Bathampton meadows. Ed Drewitt is a local naturalist, author, tour leader, birder, photographer, public speaker, bird ringer, zoologist, feather expert and he’s currently studying for a PhD based on researching Peregrines for the last 24 years. He talks about what the dawn chorus means to him and describes the life of a peregrine falcon and the Peregrine Project in Bath. The episode finishes with a walk organised by the Cotswolds Wardens with expert birder Marika Kovacs. Credits Music: Audionautix Dawn Chorus audio kindly recorded by Ed Drewitt Produced by Pommy Harmar Links RSPB - dawn chorus - www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happening/news/the-dawn-chorus-all-you-need-to-know-about-natures-big-show Bath Peregrine Project nest site webcam - www.hawkandowltrust.org/live-cameras/bath-peregrines Cotswold Warden Walks - www.cotswolds-nl.org.uk/visiting-and-exploring/guided-walks Ed Drewitt - www.eddrewitt.co.uk Bath Natural History Society - www.bathnats.org.uk Bathscape - www.bathscape.co.uk | |||
| 11 May 2021 | CIrcling Bath with the help of cake | 00:38:44 | |
Welcome to Bathscape's May Footprints Podcast! This episode goes out in the middle of Mental Health Awareness Week with the theme this year of Nature. So who better to talk to than Tom and Maria, two volunteers from Bath Mind. Plus ... in our section Wise Words from Walking Women, Lucy and I discuss our favourite picnic food and snacks to take on a walk.... And finally ... I spend the day at the Julian House Circuit of Bath 20-mile fundraising walk and put my microphone in the way of some of the 700 intrepid walkers! To find out more about Bathscape do visit the website Music Acoustic Guitar 1, Audionautix, YouTube Audio Library. Words, Audionautix, YouTube Audio Library Host and Producer: Pommy Harmar | |||
| 11 Jul 2021 | Steppin' out long distance | 00:36:42 | |
Welcome to the July episode of Bathscape's Footprints Podcast! This month we meet Bristol Steppin Sistas, a hugely popular new walking group for women of colour. Sophie Brown and Ruth Pitter tell us about their love of walking, what they get up to with the group and descibe some of the barriers women of colour face when venturing into the countryside. Plus ... in our section Wise Words from Walking Women, we turn the tables and Lucy finds out from me about the joys and mechanics of long distance walking.... And finally ... Lucy goes for a walk with one of Bathscape's regular walking groups - this one is for older people and those who want to start taking exercise. You can find out more about Bathscape here Music Acoustic Guitar 1, Audionautix, YouTube Audio Library. Words, Audionautix, YouTube Audio Library Host and Producer: Pommy Harmar | |||
| 06 Jul 2023 | Haile Selassie in Bath | 00:41:33 | |
This month we investigating the time when Haile Selassie came to live here in Bath, in exile. We find out about this remarkable African royal figure, seen as 225th in the line of the king of kings of Ethiopia. Not only a monarch whose roots are considered to reach back as far as King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, but also a man revered in his lifetime and now, as God incarnate by followers of the Rastafarian faith. Princess Esther Sellassie Antohin, great granddaughter of Emperor Haile Selassie joins us from Addis Ababa and gives us great insights into his life and work. We take a tour around Fairfield House with Ras Benji. This is the home where Haile Selassie lived almost a century ago with his family during his exile in Bath. Then we’ll come right up to the present day and find out about Bemsca, (Bath Ethnic Minority Senior Citizens Association) what happens there today with Pauline Swaby-Wallace. Links Credits Music: Audionautix Produced by Pommy Harmar | |||
| 02 Feb 2022 | Visions of Bath | 00:40:15 | |
Starting off season 2 with Visions of Bath, this episode has been inspired by Bathscape’s Views and Vistas project where volunteers are researching and monitoring historically important viewpoints and where appropriate, restoring or enhancing them. We see the city from three different hill tops and I am joined by people who have worked or walked the land for decades. Starting on Twerton Round Hill, Di Sheppard, Landscape Architect with Bath and North East Somerset Council gives an insight into why Bath is a UNESCO World Heritage site and introduces us to her favourite word palimpsest! On Kelston Round Hill we meet Andy Dinham whose family has farmed in the South West since the seventeenth century, and Dick Bateman who has walked the hill 1400 times (both pictured). Billie Brocklehurst joins us from Brocks Outdoor Adventures for a cuppa! I tramp up Little Solsbury Hill with Barry Cox, Cotswold Warden and we get ambushed by the boss of Bathscape himself Dan Merrett. Also making an appearance on the top is Nicole Daw, Cotswolds National Landscape, Rob Kendall, Cotswold Warden & Little Solsbury Commoner and John Bartram, Cotswold Warden & Chair of the Cotswold Way Association. Credits Music: Audionautix Produced by Pommy Harmar Links
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| 16 Jun 2022 | Paddling the canals of Bath | 00:35:01 | |
In a 2-part series of the canals and rivers of Bath, this month we paddle along the Somersetshire Coal and the Kennet and Avon canals, and find out how they contributed to the building of Bath. We meet a woman who runs pottery workshops from her boat and a man who illuminates the life of a 'continuous cruiser'. Finally I hitch a ride on the back of Dan's bike to the Claverton Pumping Station where we explore the early industrial revolution and meet the machine which has pumped water up to the Kennet and Avon canal for two centuries. It dates back to the year Pride and Prejudice was published - 1813! Bathscape Manager Dan Merrett and his daughter do the paddling while I drop a hydrophone into the water and listen to the birds! This is the life! Music: Audionautix Produced by Pommy Harmar Links Somersetshire Coal Canal Society - www.coalcanal.com Jessica Styles - Insta and Facebook - @towpathpottery Claverton Pumping Station - www.claverton.org www.canalrivertrust.org.uk www.naturalbristol.wordpress.com | |||
| 03 Oct 2022 | Community Growers | 00:32:04 | |
This month’s episode discovers the community of growers and gardeners in and around Bath. In recent years there’s been a resurgence with more people coming together to grow and share food, care for the land they live near or on - maybe in an effort to help communities tackle some of the challenges we’re all facing. Hamish Evans, co-founder of Middle Ground Growers tells me about their market garden, Weston Spring Farm, nestling just below Kelston Roundhill in Weston. They deliver organic veg boxes to 120 local households by bike. Their farm goes beyond sustainabilty and operates as a regenerative, agri-ecological model including a nuttery, coppice, wildflower meadow, bee hives, bird boxes and of course the fruit and veg beds. Soil health is improving, insects and birds are increasing and the local community is benefiting. I meet with Emily Wright, Chair of Grow Batheaston who shows me around their Forest Garden. This is a small patch of land behind the Secret Garden in the heart of the village. A Forest Garden is a layered garden where everything has a benefit - whether it be edible, medicinal, or to our wellbeing. Everyone is welcome to join the growers club and the community planting club. There are also regular pop-up markets. Info can be found using the links below. Finally I spend a day around the peace path in the heart of the Whiteway estate. Claire Loder talks about the origins of Bloomin' Whiteway with its annual Front Gardens Festival; Lucy Bartlett takes a group of us bug hunting and community worker Rachel Spence talks about creating the peace path and the hope that this piece of land is bringing to the community. Credits Music: Audionautix Produced by Pommy Harmar Links www.bathscape.co.uk www.middlegroundgrowers.com www.facebook.com/MiddleGroundGrowers/ www.growbatheaston.co.uk www.facebook.com/Grow-Batheaston www.bloomingwhiteway.com www.facebook.com/bloomingwhiteway www.naturalbristol.wordpress.com | |||
| 31 Jul 2022 | Meadows, Seeds and Yellow Rattle | 00:41:37 | |
Back on land this month after two episodes on the water - this time we are exploring the wonderful world of meadows. From Bath city centre, I walk up to meet with Anita Breeze and Chris Kinchin-Smith, two of the Directors of the Friends of Lyncombe Hill Fields where they show me their newly created meadows and the second UK site of a Tiny Forest! I then walk over to Smallcombe Vale meeting Bathscape Manager, Dan Merrett on the way to find out from National Trust Assistant Ranger Issy Troth and George Cook, Avon WIldlife Trust, about seed collecting and the all important meadow plant Yellow Rattle. In between, Team Leader of Bath Parks Project, Paul Pearce gives us his expert knowledge on meadow creation and the importance of increasing biodiversity in our landscape. Credits Music: Audionautix Produced by Pommy Harmar Links www.friendsoflyncombehillfields.co.uk www.bathnes.gov.uk www.nationaltrust.org.uk www.avonwildlifetrust.org.uk www.naturalbristol.wordpress.com | |||
| 02 Aug 2024 | Hedgelaying, Scything and Dry Stone Walling! | 00:40:07 | |
This month we head out into the countryside to find out about the many traditional and ancient skills using only hand tools and age-old techniques, including scything, hedge laying and dry stone walling. Local expert Mike Reed tells us all about hedgelaying, why it's done and what is different about the North Somerset style. We head up to Lyncombe Hill Fields and meet Maurice Tennenhaus leading a team of scythers. Presenter Pommy Harmar gets a lesson in scything from scything maestro Dave Pegler. Robin Morley leads the Cotswold Wardens Dry Stone Walling team and we hear from him and from the oldest drystone waller in the group Robin Oldland. Many new words are learnt in all three crafts! Credits Music: Audionautix Produced by Pommy Harmar Links Mike Reid Hedgelayer - https://www.instagram.com/mikereedhedgelaying/ Avon Needs Trees volunteering - www.avonneedstrees.org.uk/volunteering/ Chew Valley Plants Trees - www.chewvalleyplantstrees.co.uk/ Community Farm, Chew Valley Lake - www.thecommunityfarm.co.uk/ Natural England - www.gov.uk/government/organisations/natural-england Friends of Lyncombe Hill Fields - www.friendsoflyncombehillfields.co.uk/ Green Scythe Fair - www.greenfair.org.uk/ The Scythe Association - www.scytheassociation.org/ Cotswold National Landscape - www.cotswolds-nl.org.uk/ Cotswold Voluntary Wardens - www.cotswolds-nl.org.uk/looking-after/volunteering/ Dry Stone Walling Association - www.dswa.org.uk/ | |||
| 06 Jun 2023 | The Love of Trees | 00:40:26 | |
Welcome to this June episode of Footprints in which we are celebrating trees. There are two nature inspired festivals happening in Bath this month and we bring you news of both of them. Dr Penny Hay and Andrew Grant talk about the Forest of Imagination taking this year, the Assembly Rooms as its inspiration and also we’ll explore the Festival of Nature with Director Savita WIlmott, which is in its 20th year and is including some special tree walks. Joe McSorley, Lead Ranger for the National Trust in Bath, joins us from Prior Park Landscape Gardens and shares some of his considerable wealth of knowledge around trees. We’ll also find out about a new urban tree trail 'Leafy Legacies' with Hugh Williamson. Credits Music: Audionautix Produced by Pommy Harmar Links National Trust Prior Park Landscape Gardens Leafy Legacies - a new urban tree trail discovering the trees of central Bath www.naturalbristol.wordpress.com | |||
| 10 Aug 2021 | Celebrating the Cotswolds while exploring heritage | 00:39:45 | |
It's August and in this episode we hear all about the Cotswold Way as it celebrates 50 years. Margaret Reid, Head Warden for the Cotswolds Natural Landscapes and Nicole Daw the Trails and Access Officer join us. Lucy Bartlett gives us the latest on the walking festival. Sign up for walks here. And in our Wise Words for Walking Women section we talk about safety - first aid kits, blisters, power banks and an amazing way to find and communicate your location very precisely - What3words We finish with a walk recorded very kindly for us by artist Richard White. He takes us through Sydney Gardens and along the Kennet and Avon canal. He uses walking and audio to help us explore and face our uncomfortable histories and reluctant heritage. If you're intrigued, you can find out more by signing up to his walks - Remnants, resonances and ghosts of Bath’s Union Workhouse on Sunday 12 Sept and Botany, Empire and Deep Time on 19th September. Bathscape Walking Festival timetable Music Acoustic Guitar 1, Audionautix, YouTube Audio Library. Words, Audionautix, YouTube Audio Library Host and Producer: Pommy Harmar | |||
| 09 Oct 2023 | Radical Bath | 00:46:40 | |
This month is about Radical Bath which over the centuries has had a rich underbelly of radicalism and rebellion with its streets home to rallies and riots. Andrew Swift takes us on a walk around Bath where we hear about the struggle to get the vote and the importance of Chartism in the city. Professor Emerita June Hannam tells us about the suffragette movement and how Eagle House became a refuge for suffragettes when they came out of prison. Annie Beardsley remembers taking a show with Bath Natural Theatre Company to support the Solsbury Hill bypass protesters in 1994. And finally we join Kidical Mass - a group of cyclists campaigning for safer streets for children to cycle in. Credits Music: Audionautix Arianna Cunningham - first feature with Andrew Swift. Produced by Pommy Harmar Links Andrew Swift - Akeman Press Kidical Mass - Facebook site | |||
| 14 Jun 2021 | Rambling over to Bristol | 00:32:26 | |
Welcome to the June epiosde of Bathscape's Footprints Podcast! This month we celebrate the Ramblers and talk to Chair of Bath Ramblers Mary Young and footpath maintenance officer wizard Keith Weller. Plus ... in our section Wise Words from Walking Women, Lucy and I talk about footwear - fabric or leather, boots or trainers, on pair of socks or two.... And finally ... I spend the day with good friend, radio colleague and ex-Bath resident Angel Mel trying out the Go Jauntly app which takes us both on a history tour of St Paul's courtesy of Bristol Walkfest! You can find out more about Bathscape here Music Acoustic Guitar 1, Audionautix, YouTube Audio Library. Words, Audionautix, YouTube Audio Library Host and Producer: Pommy Harmar | |||
| 07 Nov 2023 | Bath at Night | 00:42:04 | |
The autumn has arrived and it’s that time of year to hunker down and stay warm. It's the perfect season to explore the nighttime in and around Bath. In this episode we find out about the night sky and visit the Herschel museum where Uranus was discovered back in the 18th century. We’ll hear about the owls in Newton St Loe, delve into the reasons why some animals are nocturnal and our very own batman Dan Merrett will take us on a bat walk around Combe Down. In this episode we start by meeting the owls at the West of England Falconry Centre in Newton St Loe. Naomi Johns, centre manager tells us all about their owls. Their events start again in early march. In our Expert Eye section, we find out about the Herschel family. William Herschel was born in Hannover in 1738 and came to Britain as a refugee fleeing the French when he was just 18. He was an accomplished musician and came to Bath to take up the post of organist at the very fashionable Octagon chapel in Bath. The manager of the Herschel museum in Bath Joe Middleton tells us how he came to make the transition to one of the most famous astronomers of his day. We finish with a bat walk with our very own batman - Bathscape’s Manager Dan Merrett and meet at least three species! Credits Music: Night Music by Kevin MacLeod (YouTube Audio Library) Produced by Pommy Harmar Links West of England Falconry Centre - www.westofenglandfalconry.org.uk Herschel Museum - www.herschelmuseum.org.uk Bathscape - www.bathscape.co.uk | |||
| 01 Mar 2023 | Art in the Landscape | 00:42:25 | |
This month we are serving up a fabulous trio of local Bath artists who, using a variety of materials and techniques, are united in their love of landscape and the creatures and plants that make it their home. Bathscape Manager Dan Merrett starts us off in the Victoria Art Gallery with a history tour of artists who have painted the Bath landscape since 1730. Jessica Palmer shows us round her first ever solo exhibition in the Victoria Art Gallery - free to visit until 11th April 2023. Jessica's clients include Disney Pixar and English Heritage. In her exhibition entitled Wetland Spring, she uses watercolour and paper cutting to bring the wetlands to life and show us the many varied creatures that live within this unique and important habitat. Perry Harris is a cartoonist and landscape artist using paint and digital colour to bring Bath to life. He loves to paint his favourite landscapes including Primrose Hill, The Cotswold Way and Smallcombe Vale. He persuades me to climb up to the top of the tower of the Royal High School where he works to be interviewed! Our final artist is Marian Hill who is an illustrator. She produces beautiful posters of bugs and butterflies, minibeasts and pollinators. With the expert help of local entomologist Mike Williams, she works painstakingly to create accurate as well as stunning work using collage. She has worked closely with Bathscape and local schools. You can see contemporary artists' works around trees and landscape this summer at the Forest of Imagination which will run from the 14th June 2023 at the Assembly Rooms in Bath. Thanks go to The National Lottery Heritage Fund and players of the National Lottery who fund the work of Bathscape. Links Jessica Palmer: www.jessicapalmerart.com Twitter: @JessCutitout Perry Harris: www.bath.co.uk/spotlight/perry-harris-artist-illustrator Twitter: @Uhperry Marian Hill: www.marianhill.co.uk Twitter: @hill_marian Victoria Art Gallery, Bridge Street, Bath BA2 4AT www.naturalbristol.wordpress.com Credits Music: Audionautix Produced by: Pommy Harmar | |||
| 01 Apr 2022 | One farm through one century | 00:37:56 | |
This episode is all about farming. In fact it’s all about one farm, and we hear from 4 generations of people connected with the farm since its beginnings 105 years ago. When the Ashcombe Estate was sold off in 26 lots in 1917, Marianne Brunt's grandparents bought Lot 4, Manor Farm Langridge. Our story starts with her as she grew up at Tadwick farm across the valley. We then meet Rachel de Fossard whose family farmed there for 50 years, before meeting the current owners Donald MacIntyre and Jane Lipington. Finally Donald's daughter Laurie talks about her work on the farm. We hear about the changes in machinery, how water was piped to the farm using a Ram (no, not a male sheep!), what life was like before electricity and just how harsh the life was before central heating. Credits Music: Audionautix Produced by Pommy Harmar Links www.bathscape.co.uk www.naturalbristol.wordpress.com | |||
| 02 Jan 2024 | Highlights of 2023 | 00:59:15 | |
Happy New Year and welcome back to Footprints! In this our first episode of 2024, we look back at our highlights from 2023. More than 40 people took part in the shows last year and a huge thanks must go to them for making the episodes so fascinating and varied to listen to. They and the organisations they represent are at the very heart of the Bathscape and we will hear from many more in 2024. Clips Ep 13 February - Living Working Bath: Mark Batterham shows us around the Moorlands Estate, the first council estate planned after the second world war and opened by Nye Bevin. Ep 14 March - Art in the Landscape: Marian Hill talks about her exquisitely intricate and accurate identification charts of bugs, beetles and butterflies, using collage. Ep 15 April - Wellbeing in Nature: Lucy Bartlett leads a walk for students as part of Be Well week and three students talk about why being outdoors helps their mental health. Ep 16 May - The Call of the Wild: One of the wildlife enthusiasts featured in the episode Catherine Turner talks about her passion for spiders and has me peering deep into the long grass . Ep 17 June - The Love of Trees: Joe McSorley, lead ranger for the National Trust shows us around Prior Park Gardens and tells us why the gardens were created and what the trees were used for. Ep 18 July - Haile Selassie in Bath: Ras Benji allows us to tag along on a tour of Fairfield House where Emperor Haili Selassie lived during his time in exile during WW2. Ep 18 July - Haile Selassie in Bath: Pauline Swaby-Wallace shows around the Windrush Centre and describes what it was like to come to Britain at that time. Ep 19 August - What did the Romans ever do for Bath?: Combe Down resident Helen talks about the time she found a skeleton of a roman citizen buried in her garden wall! Ep 20 September - Farming in Bath: Bob Honey has a pedigree herd of Herefords, but he also has a cider apple orchard. This is a clip of him describing the year in the life of an apple. You will hear glorious names of apple varieties such as Slack-ma-Girdle! Ep 21 October - Radical Bath: In this clip, Professor emerita June Hannam talks about why Bath was important to the Suffragettes and tree planting at Eagle House. Ep 21 October - Radical Bath: the episode brings us right into the present with Kidical Mass campaigners talking about their mission to create safer streets for children to cycle in. Ep 22 November - Bath at Night: We visit the West of England Falconry Centre in Newton St Loe and hear about Bella the rock owl during one of their flying displays. Ep 23 December - Three Grand Schemes: This episodes hears about Bath Preservation Trust's renovations to Beckford's Tower, one of the National Trust's Green Corridor schemes at Bathampton Meadows and the recently-opened Cleveland Pools. In this clip three inspiring women talk about their experience of swimming in temperatures of around 10 degrees! Our thanks to all our contributors throughout 2023 Stuart Burroughs, director, Museum of Bath at Work Diana Ahmed, Twerton artist Mark Batterham, local historian Jessica Palmer, Bath artist Perry Harris, Bath artist, watercolourist and cartoonist Marian Hill, Bath illustrator Chris Pound, architect, writer and World Heritage expert George Cook, project officer, Avon Wildlife Trust Mike WIlliams, Bath naturalist, specialist in beetles Catherine Turner, Bath naturalist, specialist in spiders Alan Rayner, Bath naturalist, specialist in mosses, lichens and liverworts Helen Hobbs, organiser, Chalcombe Toad Patrol Karen... | |||
| 28 Sep 2021 | And finally it's the festival itself! | 00:47:53 | |
Welcome to our second episode in September - this one following Bathscape's highly successful 2021 walking festival! I caught up with Lucy Bartlett before she went off on a much deserved rest, to find out how the festival had gone. Walks - we hear in turn from: LGBTQ+ Social History walk with Robert Howes My Postcard Walk to You with Victoria Wells Bath's Uncomfortable Past with MR B's Emporium of Reading Delights - a walk discovering Bath's links to the transatlantic slave trade with Mr D (aka Sam Drew) and Richard White, Senior Lecturer, Bath Spa University. A suggested reading list is here and you can download the original Bath’s Uncomfortable Past walking route here: Bath Uncomfortable Past Walking Map Bat walks with Bathscape's Julia Kennaby and Dan Merrett Homes Not Hutches Tour of Bath's Southdown Housing Estate with Mark Batterham Circuit of Bath 20-mile fundraiser for Julian House with Pommy Harmar. You can donate here. Music Acoustic Guitar 1, Audionautix, YouTube Audio Library. Words, Audionautix, YouTube Audio Library Host and Producer: Pommy Harmar | |||
| 05 May 2023 | The Call of the Wild | 00:47:42 | |
This month we celebrate wildlife enthuiasts. It’s springtime and we thought we’d bring the outside in and isten to the call of the wild. We start the show at Bath city Farm and meet Ribin the Robin. Naturalist Mike WIlliams tells us his story. Staying at Bath City Farm, Bathscape's Lucy Bartlett surveys newts and we hear how the newt population is doing in the farm's ponds. Catherine Turner takes us on a walk towards Englishcombe and hunts for for spiders. Alan Rayner is a specialist in mosses, lichens and liverworts of which there are over 1000 species in the UK and more than 100 in Smallcombe cemetery where we find him. Helen Hobbs is the patrol manager for the Chalcombe toad patrol. For 6 weeks of the year toads migrate across Chalcombe Road where, every evening, 40 volunteers take it in turn to help them keep safe. Finally we hear from one of Bath and North East Somerset Council’s ecologists Karen Renshaw. We find out about Adders Tongue ferns and what the Council is doing to improve biodiversity in the city. Resources Newts Amphibian and Reptile Conservation - newts Spiders Natural History Museum - spiders Britain's Spiders: A field guide, Lawrence Bee, Geoff Oxford and Helen Smith, WILDGuides Mosses, Lichens and Liverworts A Guide to Finding Mosses In Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, Peter Creed and Tom Haynes. Pisces Publications Toads Froglife Toad Patrols - search for Chalcombe toad patrol Biodiversity Bath and North East Somerset Council: Ecology and Biodiversity Credits Music: Audionautix Photography: Mike Williams Produced by Pommy Harmar Links www.bathscape.co.uk www.naturalbristol.wordpress.com | |||
| 04 Apr 2024 | Bath Goes Gardening | 00:42:08 | |
This month, as spring gets properly into its stride, we go gardening. We start with Carol Stone, one of the volunteers from Alice Park Community Garden down below Larkhall on the London Road. If you have always wanted to know how to stop slugs and aphids munching your beans, well - listen in.. Marion Harney, Professor of Buildings and Landscape Conservation at University of Bath takes us around Sydney Gardens, the only Georgian Pleasure Gardens left in the UK and tells us how the Georgians liked to have fun. Amie Cook, Community Ecologist for the Team Wilder Ecological Advisory Service gives advice on how to encourage wildlife into your back garden. This is a service offered by Avon Wildlife Trust via site visits, video calls or workshops. Cat Baker, ecologist and manager of WIld About Bath takes us around a wild garden overlooking Horsecombe Vale, tells us what she loves about gardening and gives tips on composting. Credits Music: Audionautix Produced by Pommy Harmar Links Alice Park Community Garden: www.facebook.com/aliceparkcommunitygarden/?locale=en_GB Team Wilder Ecological Advisory Service, Avon Wildlife Trust: www.avonwildlifetrust.org.uk/team-wilder-ecological-advisory-service Wild About Bath: www.wildaboutbath.org | |||
| 01 Dec 2022 | Tourism in Bath, Past and Present | 00:42:56 | |
This month we're celebrating tourism in Bath - discovering what has drawn people to live in or visit Bath since neolithic times. Paul Simons is the man who brought Thermae Baths to the city and is now Chair of the Trustees of the Cleveland Pools Project. In addition he is also the Secretary General of the Great Spa Towns of Europe! This is a world heritage site covering 7 countries and 11 internationally famous spa towns. He tells us about this and how Bath Spa has been re-invented 5 times in its history. Kirsten Elliott, historian and Mayor Guide Emeritus, takes me on a walk around Georgian Bath to find out what the Georgians might expect when visiting. And we discover what they did when they weren’t bathing... The Bath Christmas markets are in full flow, drawing thousands of visitors to the city and enchanting their senses with the beauty of the lights, sounds and the smells. Kathryn Davis, Director of Tourism at Visit West, brings us right up to date and tells us about what they’re doing now to attract visitors. Credits Music: Audionautix Bath City Jubilee Waits "Cathedral Bells" by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) of Freesound.org Produced by Pommy Harmar Links | |||
| 01 Mar 2022 | Death in Paradise | 00:32:21 | |
In this episode we look back at how we remember our ancestors and loved ones in Bath. We start at the Bath workhouse burial ground where 3000+ people were buried in unmarked graves in a field on the Wellsway near St Martin's Hospital. We hear from Richard White from Bath Spa University who created the Walking the Names project and on that day, Bathscape had organised an event to plant more than 40 trees as one way to memorialise the people buried there. John Payne tells us about the workhouse and how his great grandparents are buried up there. His leaflet From Workhouse to Hospital is available from Oldfield Park Bookshop and the Museum of Bath at Work. Proceeds go to the Burial Ground Appeal. He has also written a book called A West Country Homecoming - see link below. Finally in our Expert Eye section, Dr Molly Conisbee, University of Bristol talks about the various ways we have marked death and remembered our loved ones over the centuries. Music: Audionautix Produced by Pommy Harmar Links
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| 01 Mar 2024 | Geology of Bath | 00:42:51 | |
In this episode we take a deep dive underneath the city of Bath and discover the geology that underpins it. Professor Maurice Tucker from the Bath Geological Society tells us about the father of Geology, William Smith Mike Williams is a landscape historian and ecologist and he talks about the affect of the landscape on settlement and biodiversity. He also shows us petrification in action! Finally in our feature we go underground! Simon Hart, Managing Director and Owner of Hartham Park Stone Mine takes us down the mine where we meet a 16 ton chainsaw and see 200 year old graffiti. Credits Music: Audionautix Produced by Pommy Harmar Links Bath Geological Society -www.bathgeolsoc.org.uk Hartham Park Stone Mine - https://www.lovellstonegroup.com/quarry/hartham-park-bath-stone | |||
| 20 Sep 2023 | Farming in Bath | 00:43:34 | |
We're celebrating our 20th episode this month! And it's all about the world of farming. But first - Lucy Bartlett has just organised Bathscape’s seventh highly popular annual walking festival and she updates us on what to expect this year. We visit local farmer Bob Honey who talk about his prize herd of Herefords and he's a man knows the difference between a Brown Snout, a Slack me girdle and the ten commandments. He is a cider apple farmer! Biddy introduces us to her alpacas on her farm within 10 minutes walk of Marks and Spencers in the heart of Bath. Mark Smith from Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) tells us why he's excited for the future of farming. Credits Music: Audionautix Produced by Pommy Harmar Links | |||
| 04 Jul 2024 | Full Steam Ahead! | 00:49:16 | |
Join Dan Merrett (Manager) and Lucy Bartlett (Community Projects Officer) from Bathscape as they transport presenter Pommy Harmar by electric bike along two disused railway tracks across the Bathscape. We start in Saltford on the Bristol to Bath Railway Path, which follows the route of the Midland Railway Mangotsfield and Bath branch line, which was closed during the Beeching Axe of the 1960s. We meet Colin Maggs, a railway historian and the author of more than 100 books about British Railways. He was awarded an MBE in 1993 for services to railway history and an honorary MA from the University of Bath in 1995. He is joined by Mike Beale, Secretary Bath Railway Society who' can trace back four generations of railway workers in his family. We explore the two tunnels which form part of the Dorset and Somerset Line and meet Karl Baxter a runner competing in the gruelling ultramarathon 200 mile race called simply 'The Tunnel'. Every year around 45 men and women try to run backwards and forwards through the dark mile-long tunnel 200 times. In 2024, only 7 completed the race within the mandatory 55 hours. Credits Music: Audionautix Produced by Pommy Harmar Links Bath Railway Society - www.bathrailwaysociety.co.uk The Railway and Historical Railway Society - Dorset and Somerset line 150th Anniversary Commemoriative Walk with Mike Beale The Tunnel - 200 mile Ultramarathon Race in Combe Down Tunnel Tucking Mill Resevoir - Visitor information Sustrans - Bristol to Bath Railway Path Sustrans - Two Tunnels Circuit Two Tunnels Greenway - www.twotunnels.org.uk Bath and North East Somerset Council - Linear Park | |||
| 31 Jan 2022 | Season 2 Trailer | 00:02:53 | |
Season 2 is about to take off.....find out more in our short trailer! For more information about Bathscape visit: www.bathscape.co.uk Produced by Pommy Harmar | |||
| 09 Sep 2024 | Surfing the Generations | 00:45:57 | |
This month we take a closer look at the city of Bath through the eyes of its residents. We will hear some wonderful memories shared by those who’ve grown up and spent their lives working in the city. The episode starts with Reconnecting Twerton, a group set up by the Bath CIty Football CLub Foundation. The group is for older residents and aims to connect older residents with each other, combating loneliness, sharing stories and having a lot of fun. Three of its members share stories about their lives. The Foundation's Health and Wellbeing officer Chris Gannon introduces us to the group We find time to get out and go for a walk. Nicole Daw is the Trails and Access Officer for the Cotswolds National Landscape and she’s been asked by Bathscape to make a number of films about the joys of walking. We join her with young people from the Black Familes in Education Group. Rob Mitchell is the supplementary school coordinator and he talks about why he’s chosen to take them out walking. The episode finishes off at the Forget-Me-Not Dementia Club down at Bath city football stadium. This is a group for older people living with dementia and we hear a couple of them in conversation with some young people from the Bath College Prince's Trust Programme . Mitchell Horman is in charge of the Prince's Trust team programme at Bath College and he brings the episode to a close with his views on the importance of intergenerational projects. Credits Music: Audionautix Produced by Pommy Harmar Links Reconnecting Twerton - www.bathcityfoundation.org/reconnecting-twerton Bath City FC Foundation - www.bathcityfoundation.org/ Cotswolds National Landscape - www.cotswolds-nl.org.uk/ Black Families in Education Support Group - www.educationequals.org.uk/ Forget-Me-Not Dementia Club - https://www.forgetmenotfamiliarfriendscic.com/ | |||
| 03 Apr 2023 | Wellbeing in Nature | 00:38:44 | |
This month it is all about Wellbeing and how getting out and about especially into nature does us the world of good. Walking is a great form of exercise; but it’s also a time to think, reflect and maybe slow down and notice the details and the beauty of the world around us. We start up at Bath University where in March, it was BE WELL WEEK and Bathscape’s walking festival organiser Lucy Bartlett put on a wellbeing walk for students. Some of the students talked about why they had come on the walk. Chris Pound is credited with being one of the movers and shakers behind the city of Bath being listed as a Unesco World Heritage site for a second time, this time as one of the Great Spa towns of Europe. In our Expert Eye section, he talks about the different ways landscapes over the centuries, have been considered to be therapeutic. Finally, George Cook, the People and Wildlife Officer for the Avon Wildlife Trust tells us about the Natural Pathway sessions he runs at Bath City Farm. Links www.bathscape.co.uk Bath University Be Well Week www.naturalbristol.wordpress.com Credits Music: Audionautix, Ville Nousiainen Produced by Pommy Harmar | |||