Coast and Country

Helen Mark visits County Meath in Ireland to find out about the ancient Celtic festival of Lughnasa

Jules Hudson goes in search of the wildlife that calls our cities home

Helen Mark explores the iconic landscape of the White Cliffs of Dover

Jules Hudson explores the unique waters of Hampstead Heath

Helen Mark is in Shropshire for the Wenlock Games and to explore the landscape around Wenlock Edge

Helen Mark is in Gloucestershire finding about efforts to save the eel

In this week's programme Clare Balding meets author Barry Stone, his partner Paul and their dog, Bonzo the black Lab. Barry's childhood was coloured by the secret of his father's homosexuality and alcoholism; both parents had been traumatised by their experiences during the second world war and Barry had a deep personal struggle in coming to terms with his own sexuality. Over the years he attempted to write his story - eventually burning one manuscript of 300,000 words - and it was only at his mother's funeral that he was struck by the need to write through the 'voice' of Brucie (his childhood pet dog). The resulting book, a semi-autobiographical novel called 'Barking at Winston' was initially self-published with local distribution but was quickly picked up commercially and is now selling successfully around the country. Barry and Paul take Clare on a favourite local walk through Whitley Bay to the village of Holywell.

Pen Farthing is a former Royal Marine; while serving in Afghanistan he rescued an Afghan fighting dog which he named Nowzad after the village where his unit was based. He brought Nowzad back to the UK (which in itself required military-style planning) and when he left the Marines started a charity which runs a shelter in Afghanistan for stray and abandoned animals. The central aim of the charity is to catch, neuter and release stray dogs to prevent the population growing yet further. Pen lives in Tiverton in Devon and, for this edition of Ramblings, he takes Clare Balding on a wild walk across Dartmoor. Accompanying them is Patchdog (a massive Afghan Kuchi) and Maxchat (rescued from Iraq). Sadly Nowzad is a little old for such a long walk, but his story is central.

This week Clare Balding travels to Larkhall in South Lanarkshire to meet Scott Cunningham. A veteran of some of Britain's long-distance walks (including the West Highland Way, the Pennine Way and the Southern Upland Way) as well as the bagger of multiple Munroes, he never walks without the dog, he describes as his 'best-mate', Travis. On this walk around the Larkhall area, he describes the intensity of their relationship and the joy of his companionship. This will be a particularly moving walk for Scott, as Travis - who is a guide-dog - is retiring the following day, and a new dog, Milo, will take over. Scott was awarded an MBE last year for his achievements, which include raising over £150,000 for Guide Dogs for the Blind.

If you go walking with a dog, something extraordinary happens: complete strangers will talk to you. Sometimes this doesn't go any further than a regular 'good morning' but occasionally strong friendships are formed.

Alex Lyons is a dog handler with the Tavistock-Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team. He and several members of his team - and their dogs - take Clare for a wild, wet and windy walk on Dartmoor. Clare sees how the rescue dogs work, and asks why anyone would want to spend their leisure time doing a voluntary job which is exhausting and occasionally upsetting. The answer? A sense of fulfillment, the opportunity to spend time in beautiful and remote countryside, and - of course - the joy of working with highly trained and intelligent dogs (who make their presence felt, and heard, throughout the programme).

Stuart Jessup and his springer spaniel, Poppy, started an 8 month, 2,500 mile walk around the English coast in October 2011. Occasionally joined by Stuart's wife, Kate, Stuart is walking as part of a campaign to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness, and to raise money for Sane and Anxiety UK. Clare Balding joined Stuart, Kate and Poppy for a stretch of the walk from Flamborough Head to Bridlington on the Yorkshire Coast, to hear more about his adventures. Poppy has been central to the success of the walk; her friendliness encourages conversations between Stuart and other walkers, who often reveal their own problems with depression - both parties leaving the encounter enriched.

Helen Mark is in Snowdonia to see if the walkers have enough navigation skills.

Jules Hudson explores how the job of the farm vet has changed in recent years and their role in the country landscape.

Richard Uridge is in the Rockingham Forest in Northamptonshire as a source of inspiration.