On Jimmy's Farm

History of the Countryside

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Episode notes

The English Countryside. An ever changing environment, or a static, preserved landscape in the service of humanity since the dawn of agriculture?

On the latest episode we’ll find out about the historical challenges of conserving and preserving the natural environment.


This week Jimmy is joined by Matthew Kelly, who in his new book ‘The Women Who Saved the English Countryside' he traces the history of landscape preservation through the lives of four remarkable women in the past 150 years; Beatrix Potter, Octavia Hill, Pauline Dower, and Sylvia Sayer.


Jimmy and Matthew also touch on current challenges including access to rural places to all, the continuity of land use by all public, and the challenges of the new generation of activists from BLM, to Right to Roam activists who draw inspiration from the Kinder Scout trespass of 1930s.


On Jimmy's Farm: A Podcast By History Hit.



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