Ray and Ruth Mears
“Today is a very special day, my 5th Wedding Anniversary. Traditionally, gifts for this celebration are of wood, so I have carved a special gift for my darling wife. It was a joy to make, a labour of true love. Sitting, carving with axe and crooked knife, in the October sunshine that we have been blessed with, gave me time to reflect on how much she has enriched my life. We all need a soul mate for our journey through life’s wilderness.”
Ray Mears, Founder of Woodlore
For those of you who have been searching for the second instalment of Ray’s latest series, fear not; episode 2 of Wilderness Walks with Ray Mears will be aired at 7:30 PM on Tuesday 14th October, on ITV1. For viewers in Wales, episode 2 will be aired at 11:10 PM on Wednesday 15th October.
In episode two, Ray visits the Thames Path National Trail, travelling by canoe along the mighty River Thames from Oxfordshire to London. Along the way, Ray spots kingfishers and water voles, reveals an unusual use for the horse chestnuts he finds lining the river bank, and camps in one of the world’s most precious and exclusive woodlands.
You can now watch the very first episode of Ray’s brand new series Wilderness Walks with Ray Mears online. Just click on the image below to be taken to the official ITV Player site:
“I have explored some of the wildest places on earth – but my favourite is still Britain.”
Ray returns to our screens this September with a brand new series on ITV. Starting on Tuesday 9th September, Wilderness Walks with Ray Mears aims to take viewers on a trail of discovery through some of Britain’s most spectacular and diverse landscapes.
The series begins with Ray returning to one of his favourite places in Britain – Dartmoor. Ray travels across granite peaks and through mysterious oak forests, searching for the country’s largest ground beetle and the elusive wood warbler. He also visits High Willhays, the highest point in the area’s National Park.
Each episode cuts a path through a different landscape, with Ray travelling from dawn till dusk to explore each unique habitat and the incredible wildlife that exists there. Along the way we encounter rivers, dense forests and mountains peaks, as Ray goes in search of some of the UK’s greatest natural treasures.
Episode one will be shown at 7:30 PM on Tuesday 9th September 2014 on ITV.
You can now watch the third and final episode of How the Wild West was Won, with Ray Mears online. Just click on the image below to be taken to the official BBC iPlayer site:
For previous episodes and behind-the-scenes photos from this series, please visit the BBC Four How the Wild West was Won homepage.
You can now watch the second episode of How the Wild West was Won, with Ray Mears online. Just click on the image below to be taken to the official BBC iPlayer site:
The third and final episode will be broadcast on Thursday 5th June at 9:00 PM on BBC4.
You can now watch the first episode of How the Wild West was Won, with Ray Mears online. Just click on the image below to be taken to the official BBC iPlayer site:
Episode 2 will be broadcast on Thursday 29th May at 9:00 PM on BBC4.
Ray Mears returns to our screens this May with a brand new series for BBC4. Starting on Thursday 22nd May, How the Wild West was Won, with Ray Mears sees Ray fulfil a childhood dream of exploring this fascinating region of America.
For a glimpse of what’s in store, take a look at the official series teaser below:
For more exclusive clips and behind the scenes photos, visit the BBC4 Wild West homepage.
Broadcast schedule:
Today marks the 50th birthday of Woodlore’s founder, Ray Mears. In honour of this special occasion, the Woodlore team commissioned the work of a master hand engraver to produce a set of custom silver cufflinks, etched with the classic Woodlore logo.
Ray Mears opens his present from Woodlore
Happy 50th Birthday Ray!
Ray’s one-of-a-kind Woodlore cufflinks
On behalf of the entire Woodlore team, we would like to wish Ray a very happy birthday; here’s to many more years of adventures!
A new article in the Telegraph sees Ray Mears sharing his thoughts on the recent controversy over government plans to build new homes on Britain’s hallowed green belt.
In his extensive statement, Ray explains why he believes that this so-called protected land provides “a backdrop to our lives where we can maintain contact with the seasons and influences of nature.”
Ray first spoke out about the green belt during his recent appearance on BBC Radio 4’s iconic Desert Island Discs show. Speaking to presenter Kirsty Young, Ray said “We live in a time now where there’s a huge pressure to build on the green belt. Now, as I understood it, that was put aside in perpetuity by our ancestors, our elders, and I think it should still be so.”
Ray with Desert Island Discs presenter Kirsty Young
Ray added that, while he accepts that new homes are needed, “If we don’t have green spaces, what sort of people do we become, living in those spaces?”
The issue recently gained publicity following a warning from the National Trust, that half of English councils with green-belt land are preparing to allocate some of it for development ahead of brownfield sites.
Ray went on to say that the “green belt, by its nature, is rich in hedgerows and strip woodland, which link green spaces. Such ‘wildlife corridors’ play a vital role in connecting smaller habitats, which in isolation would be far less viable.”
Read the full Telegraph article
Listen to Ray Mears on Desert Island Discs
The Ray Mears & Woodlore Bushcraft Blog 