Summer Special

Tom Heap is so excited for the summer fayre that he arrives at the site some 11 hours early! But he isn’t alone; he’s joined by wildlife photographer Andrew Walmsley who specialises in taking photos from high up in the tree canopy. They hoist themselves into the trees ready for a night under the stars – and leaves – in order to capture a unique perspective on the fayre as it begins the next morning.

Get some tips on wildlife photography

Matt Baker and Ellie Harrison indulge in a traditional summer fayre activity with a healthy dose of competition - archery. They use a traditional longbow and after some instruction by a real Robin Hood, also known as Matthew Nimmo, they take aim and first to pop the balloon wins! So who will be best with the bow?

Find an archery club local to you

For some people living in busy cities the only glimpse of the countryside comes once a week, on a Sunday evening, on BBC One. Adam Henson has decided to give three keen Countryfile viewers the chance to experience a little more than that. So, Annabelle, Liz and Terry are whisked out of London, trading their suits and snappy shoes for raincoats and wellies, in order to get up close and personal with rural life. Will a hard day’s work on Adam’s farm send them running for a cappuccino and a blow-dry, or inspire them to keep on the wellies for good?

England rugby champion turned MasterChef winner Phil Vickery is on a mission to create a feast to feed the hardworking Countryfile team at lunch. He ropes in John as his sous chef and together they prowl the stalls for the best of British cuisine. John prepares the kipper salad while Phil sizzles some sausages! Everyone enjoys a well-earned rest from the morning’s activities while they speculate on who the secret guest will be in the cricket match later.

Phil's summer berries and custard recipe (scroll down the page)

Ellie goes to see John Hammond who has set up some experiments to demonstrate how warmer temperatures lead to summer storms. Eggs and water balloons are just two of John’s visual aids. Ellie finally gets hands on with a 100 year-old contraption to make her own lightening!

Discover more about weather systems

Summer fayres were not the only time when people from both town and country were brought together. During the First World War thousands of men went away to fight and so the Women’s Land Army was established in order to keep Britain’s agriculture moving. Ellie meets historian Cherish Watton who explains how propaganda was used to entice city women out to farms. Once in the countryside they had to get stuck-in but were rewarded with liberating trouser uniforms and usually found themselves to be more than capable. Ellie is shown photos of Valerie Linda’s mother Dorothy who described her time working for the Land Army as “the happiest days of her life”.

Find out more about World War 1

What better way to end a peaceful and traditional summer fayre than with a high-adrenaline cricket match between the Countryfile presenting team and their celebrity guests?! Adam’s son Alfie is a keen player and so joins the home team but Phil Vickery and co. aren’t going to accept defeat lying down and have a surprise team member of their own. There are low balls, high balls and particularly bouncy balls but who will rein victorious? It all comes down to a face-off between Countryfile legend John Craven and the mighty brawn of Phil.