Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast A Field Guide to the Brecks

This week, in the final episode of the series, Timo talks to Landscape Partnership founder, and Suffolk County Council’s Natural Environment Manager, Nick Dickson, and current Project Manager of the Landscape Partnership, Nicole Wade.

In this episode, they explore three different places in the Brecks:

• the Great Eastern Pingo Trail across Thompson Common, a Norfolk Wildlife Trust reserve distinctive for hundreds of ice age pingo ponds
• Warren Lodge, outside of Thetford, where rabbits were historically farmed – even supplying fur to Catherine of Aragon
• the Anglo-Saxon village in the Country Park at West Stow.

Timo, Nick and Nicole discuss:

• the many opportunities for learning and getting to know the Brecks, whether it’s unusual geology, rare species, the very long human history, or the planes that fly into the airbases!
• how the poor soil in the Brecks has dictated what can and can’t be done here and created an unusual history of humanindustry in the area
• the pingo ponds of the Brecks, why they’re here and why they matter
• why are the pines that criss-cross farmland in the Brecks so twisted?
• stories of rabbit farming in the Tudor Brecks and why rabbits are still essential to the landscape today
• why isn’t the Brecks a designated landscape? And should it be?
• the impact of volunteers in the Brecks and for the Landscape Partnership itself
• how is the Landscape Partnership creating experiences for people to connect with and learn about the landscape?
• how much we can learn from error in “trial and error”?
• Nick’s background and how it influenced the development of the Landscape Partnership
• Nicole’s background and her vision for the Landscape Partnership as a long-term, self-sustaining entity.

You can find out more about the Partnership at www.brecks.org. This is the final episode in series 1  - we will be taking a short break but will bring you series 2 very soon – thank you for listening!

This week, Timo talks to Lance and Alfred from West Stow Country Park and Anglo-Saxon Village. Their exploration of the park starts with Æppel and Æcern, two wild-boar-mix pigs rootling beneath the trees, then wanders through the Anglo-Saxon village to the river where the team have created a log-boat or dug-out canoe and used cleared materials as resources for living history projects.

On their way, they discuss:

• what can two pigs today teach us about ancient history
• the evident 10,000 years of human history on the site and how the river Lark is key
• how the team’s work with previous Landscape Partnerships helped put the river back at the centre of the exploration of human history in the Country Park
• the importance of playful learning
• the fascinating experimental archaeology taking place on site, including the trial-and-error process of creating a dug-out canoe
• recipe development for replicating iron age paint
• navigating potential conflicts between historical materials and modern ideologies
• the wellbeing and mindfulness benefits of escaping into history
• Lance’s hopes for the Country Park and the Landscape Partnership in the future.

Find out more about the Landscape Partnership at www.brecks.org and West Stow Country Park and Anglo-Saxon Village at www.weststow.org.

This week, Timo talks to Maddie Exton, Artist and Creative Producer at MarketPlace Arts, an Arts Council funded Creative People and Places (CPP) charity. They discuss:

• Maddie’s working-class, rural Suffolk background and how it has influenced her artistic practice and work in social engagement
• exploring heritage and the environment through art and the interplay between research, nature, storytelling and creativity
• should we explain our art or leave the audience to attribute their own meaning?
• what rural creativity looks like compared to creativity in urban settings
• the lack of working-class backgrounds in the arts and how to identify and overcome the barriers to art to make creativeopportunities accessible to everyone, no matter their background
• the development of the annual Light up the Town events in Brandon and Mildenhall and how they started with reflecting on the seasons and planting bulbs
• the impact of bringing communities together through art
• what Maddie would like to see in the future of the Brecks.

Find out more about the Landscape Partnership at www.brecks.org, MarketPlace Arts at www.marketplacearts.org.uk and Maddie’s creative work at www.maddieexton.com.

This week, Timo talks to Richard Evans, co-founder of the Breckland Farmers Wildlife Network (BFWN). They discuss:

• the ingredients that formed the BFWN, from Richard’s background and network, to the Breckland Biodiversity Audit in 2010, evidencing nearly 13,000 species, around 2,000 of which are priority species, in the Brecks
• how working collaboratively for ecology improvements has brought together otherwise isolated and competitive farms and businesses
• the importance of facts and science when talking to farmers and how the standard advice for improving ecology is often a bad fit for the Brecks
• the nitty-gritty of what farmers in the BFWN are doing on their land to improve connectivity and restore and protect the natural seedbank and biodiversity
• the impacts this work can have such as visibly improving biodiversity and inspiring young people to explore agricultural careers
• the Hampshire New Forest as a strange sort of sibling to the Norfolk and Suffolk Brecks
• the Landscape Recovery Project the BFWN is proposing for the Brecks, and how it is unusual to have such a project run byfarmers rather than a conservation NGO
• what Richard would like to see in the future of the BFWN and the Brecks Landscape Partnership.

Find out more about the Landscape Partnership at www.brecks.org and the Breckland Farmers Wildlife Network  at www.brecklandfarmerswildlifenetwork.org.

This week, Timo talks to Becky Carter, Catchment Engagement Manager and Martin Bowes, Strategy Manager for Anglian Water. They discuss:

• how the word “heritage” applies naturally to water in the Brecks because it is the reason humans have lived in the area for so long
• how being part of the Landscape Partnership was fundamental to Anglian Water creating the concept for their current way of collaborative working
• the power of a network when balancing corporate business, innovation, and meeting regulation, with environmental improvements and community engagement
• the importance of a hub-based structure for delivering large and complex projects
• how Anglian Water works with its environmental regulator
• the Cam Ely and Ouse Partnership (CamEO) and the Advanced Water Industry National Environment Programme (A-WINEP) as ways of pursuing environmental priorities through collaborative working across 11 different catchments
• the aim of the A-WINEP programme to involve and train local catchment groups and stakeholders to improve the environment and social prosperity
• working to combat the bad press water companies have and disprove negative preconceptions
• the role technology might play in future water restoration projects, and the impact technology is having on water demand
• the role of citizen science
• what Anglian Water wants to see for the Brecks in future

Find out more about the Landscape Partnership at www.brecks.org and visit Anglian Water’s A-WINEP and CamEO collaborative project pages to find out more about their work in local communities.

This week, we’re kicking off 2026 with a conversation withGraham Wade, co-founder of Run Breckland. Timo talks to Graham in September 2025 on Butten Island, between the Little Ouse and the Thet in the centre of Thetford.

They discuss:

• the running community in and around Thetford
• how Run Breckland got started and the building of their event calendar, including the first marathon in the area
• the development of free, social runs outside of the big events
• the connection Thetford has with large green spaces and its rich human heritage
• how running opens people’s eyes to the area where they live
• volunteering as a game-changer for the organisation and how they try to look after their volunteering community
• the challenges Run Breckland face
• the impact of the Landscape Partnership on the organisation
• Run Breckland’s plans for the coming year
• what Graham wants to see from the Landscape Partnership in future.

Find out more about the Landscape Partnership at www.brecks.org and you can find Run Breckland’s upcoming events here: www.ticketsource.co.uk/run-breckland or connect with them on Facebook @BrecklandForestRuns orInstagram @run_breckland.

This week, Timo talks to Lou Mayer, Environmental Programme Manager at the Environment Agency. They discuss:

• the value of chalk streams
• the impact of rainfall, the historical human-shaping of rivers, and the hazards to river health common in the Brecks
• the importance of a river to its local community and how spending time outdoors prepares you for accepting change in day-to-day life
• the art of respecting a community’s relationship with a river, whilst also working to modify it and Lou’s personal understanding of that through her love for outdoor swimming
• Lou’s role seeking out and setting up collaborative projects to improve water environments
• the difference a forward-thinking and supportive County Council can make for environmental projects
• the projects the Environment Agency completed and started under the Brecks Fen Edge and Rivers Scheme and what happens next.

Find out more about the Brecks Landscape Partnership at www.brecks.org

You can also learn more about the projects mentioned in thisepisode via the links below:

The fish and canoe pass at Brandon Staunch

The fish pass at Turf Lock, Mildenhall

Gas Pool and Jubilee Fields Consultation DocumentLowering Barton Mills Sluice

{Apologies for the poor sound quality in this episode}

In this episode, Timo talks to Tim Cowan, Brecks Conservation Officer for the RSPB. They discuss:

• Tim’s relationship with the Brecks and the changes to the landscape he has seen over the last 40 years 
• the importance of building public awareness of the Brecks as one of the most important areas in the UK for biodiversity
• the story of the Stone Curlew in the Brecks – one of only two areas in the UK the bird breeds – and the project Tim runs with local farmers
• the new project underway to protect the rare Turtle Doves that nest in the Brecks and how supporting them here differs from other places
• the research being carried out by the British Trust for Ornithology as to how to protect the Common Curlew – a red list bird – of which the Brecks has the largest lowland grassland nesting population
• the essential role of Rabbits in Brecks habitat management and the work Tim wants to see done to protect declining populations
• the role Tim sees the Landscape Partnership playing as the representative of the Brecks as a whole.

Find out more about the Brecks Landscape Partnership at www.brecks.org

You can also learn more about the projects mentioned in this episode via the links below:

The Stone Curlew Project – www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happening/news/stone-curlew-projects-anniversary

The Accessible Rivers project at Lakenheath Fen – www.brecks.org/bfer/projects/revealing-the-rivers-connecting-with-communities/4-3-accessible-rivers-improving-access

RSPB Lakenheath Fen – www.rspb.org.uk/days-out/reserves/lakenheath-fen

Operation Turtle Dove – www.operationturtledove.org

The British Trust for Ornithology’s Common Curlew information page - www.bto.org/learn/about-birds/birdfacts/curlew The Mammal Society’s Rabbit information page (including their role as ecosystem engineer) – www.mammal.org.uk/british-mammals/european-rabbit

Timo talks to Imogen Radford about the role of water in one of the driest regions of the UK.

Imogen is a volunteer who ran two projects for the Partnership: one collecting and sharing oral histories of river recreation and the other introducing people to outdoor swimming. She also supported the research for one of The Breckland Society’s projects under the Partnership, examining the history of river-based industry.

This conversation takes place at Brandon Staunch, a popular river recreation spot. They discuss:

• how Imogen discovered outdoor swimming andstarted doing historical research
• how river access and generational knowledge ofriver has deteriorated over the last fifty years
• the recent cultural rediscovery of the joys andbenefits of outdoor swimming
• how outdoor swimming today connects people tolocal heritage and wildlife
• how many people tried outdoor swimming for thefirst time in the Partnership and its impact for them
• the differing feelings of swimming alone and incommunity
• the stories of some of the people involved inher projects
• what Imogen wants to see in the future partnership.

Find out more about collaborative working in the Brecks at www.brecks.org and you can view Imogen’s website at www.osbrecks.co.uk.

Timo talks to Pete Waters, Executive Director of Visit East of England about tourism in the Brecks. They discuss:

• how to work with what we have in attracting visitors to the area
• how to curate the visitor experience to showcase the Brecks whilst still protecting it
• why storytelling is key and the hidden gems within the Brecks’ story
• how conversations can make or break a project
• how devolution could be a great opportunity for the Brecks
• Pete’s favourite places to visit in the area
• what Pete would like to see next for the Brecks Landscape Partnership.

Find out more about collaborative working in the Brecks at ⁠www.brecks.org⁠ and about Visit East of England at www.visiteastofengland.com

Timo talks to James Parry from The Breckland Society about the often overlooked social and cultural history of the Brecks. They discuss:

• the story of how human activity has changed the landscape from a hostile land of sandstorms and hardship, to the hospitable and varied place we know today  
• how striking the balance between commercial land use and environmental conservation can be used as a model for protecting heritage 
• is there value in delineating the Brecks so it is a visibly marked area?  
• why projects relating to the social and cultural history of the Brecks need extra support 
• what’s next in the human story of the Brecks and what James wants to see in the future Landscape Partnership.

Find out more about collaborative working in the Brecks at ⁠www.brecks.org⁠ and about The Breckland Society at www.brecsoc.org.uk/welcome.

Timo talks to Tina Cunnell, Brandon Town Clerk and former Thetford Town Clerk. Today’s episode takes a walk through Brandon’s green spaces, from the public-access orchard, up the avenue of lime trees planted for Queen Victoria and the memorial playing fields behind the Leisure Centre to the staunch on the Little Ouse river.

Join them as they discuss:

•  the love Breckland people have for the outdoors
• Tina’s project to connect the towns of Thetford and Brandon by river

• finding the balance between preserving heritage structures and adapting our environment to meet today’s material needs
• how strange conservation can be in the Brecks and why a sense of community identity is important for the environment
• how to use engagement to ensure a resilient and sustainable landscape in light of a growing population
• the essential role of the non-expert in heritage and conservation projects
• how projects happen: what dispositions, attitudes and skillsets are needed?

• how the landscape partnerships raise the next generation to continue the work
• Tina’s dreams for the future of the landscape partnership.

Find out more about collaborative working in the Brecks at www.brecks.org and about Brandon Town Council at www.brandon-tc.gov.uk

Timo talks to Andrew Blenkiron, manager of the Elveden Estate, the largest ring-fenced, lowland farm in England.

Join them on Dead Man’s Heath – a classic Brecks landscape of open heath fringed with pine lines and forest. Find out what links Stone Curlews and onions as well as what makes the Brecks so stripey, as they discuss:

• the wild species found on the Estate
• the unique soil of the Brecks and the importance of water, including rare chalk streams, and what it’s like to farm in one of the UK’s driest regions
• how productive arable farming has changed and how the Estate balances it with conservation
• upland sheep-farming in the lowlands
• innovation, technology and artificial intelligence on the Estate today, for farming and conservation
• how farmers in the Brecks collaborate
• what Andrew would like to see in the future management of the Brecks

Find out more about the Brecks, collaborative farming and the Elveden Estate below:

www.brecks.org

www.brecklandfarmerswildlifenetwork.org

www.elveden.com

The Norfolk and Suffolk Brecks has a tangible history of human-shaping that goes back thousands of years yet, today is home to 28% of the UK's rarest species and was described in the University of East Anglia's biodiversity audit (2010) as, "a nationally important biodiversity hotspot".

Artist and place-maker, Timo Peach takes a whistle-stop tour of exactly what makes the Brecks so special, explores the history of its collaborative management and introduces some of the people working with this unique landscape who we will hear more from later in the series.

This episode kicks off the first season of this podcast, exploring the theme of Resilience. How do we manage a landscape to make it more resilient for the future?

Find out more by visiting brecks.org or by reading the Brecks Field Guide to Resilience.