You can now watch the long-awaited second episode of Ray’s brand new series, Wilderness Walks with Ray Mears, online. Simply click on the image below to be taken to the official ITV Player website:
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.
It’s been a while since we shared any of your creations, so we thought we’d come back with a bang. Australian customer Richard Spencer displays not one, but two of his knife handles, made using the classic Hand Forged Knife Blade:
Dear Team,
What’s better than one of Julius Pettersson‘s blades? More than one! I am very lucky to have two of them:
A fine-looking pair of hand-finished knives
The lower blade is set in the traditional way, with antler segments separated by some oiled birch in the middle and the tang hammered at the end. This was great fun, but it is possible to avoid all the filing and drilling – start haunting second-hand market stalls…
I found the top handle in a car boot sale. The blade to which it belonged had rusted very badly and it took almost no effort to remove the old corroded loose tang and so rescue the horn, alloy and some of the leather segments.
There’s a section of epoxy putty behind the guard to get the spacing right and there was a very large hole in the horn handle, so the Pettersson tang had to be set in epoxy, but it is rock solid. The nicest thing being that the old handle has been given new purpose.
Very best wishes to all of you!
Richard Spencer,
Northam, Western Australia
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:
The Ray Mears & Woodlore Bushcraft Blog 