The 21st-century yokel
Tom Cox muses on life in rural Devon, from alpaca trekking to scarecrow festivals
A visit to see my grandad in the craggy wilderness of Derbyshire
The area around Crich village was home for most of my childhood, and was an escape for my grandparents in the 60s. A waterlogged trudge to the place where we scattered his ashes makes me cherish my current Devon home more than ever
A good walk – the perfect way to clear your head
Distracted by animals in the house and struggling to write, I set out in the fresh Devon air – and was inspired by a one-eyed zombie seaweed snake
A close encounter with the 'arsey' ponies of Dartmoor
The ponies near the Devon tor of Haytor are famously ‘tame’ thanks to the huge number of tourists they see. It makes the job of checking their health and wellbeing particularly entertaining …
Wassailing in Devon: 'They put a virgin in a tree at one point'
Tom Cox: It might sound a bit Wicker Man, but we need soulful events such as singing to apple trees. If civilisation collapsed, we’d need them more still
A walk on Dartmoor: face-to-face with a homemade grim reaper
If any part of the country is still shrouded in secrets, it is Dartmoor: a haunted place of black dogs and glittering ghosts. Tom Cox goes exploring – with a poodle for company
My cat for your firewood: a fair trade?
What’s going to keep you warmer during the winter? A well-stocked log fire – or the love of your adopted cat? asks Tom Cox
A man walking an owl: one of many unusual sights in Totnes
Totnes in Devon is in a world of its own, but owls seem to like it, whether they are wild or living at the Rare Breeds farm. Tom Cox meets a few
'Has that cat got semen on its back?'
What do you do when the stray cat you rescued is a little too keen on one of your existing pets? Tom Cox is on 24-hour alert
My lesson in countryside detective work – and how not to get lost
Treating the ground beneath our feet as a puzzle with clues to solve can make us far more aware of the world around us, writes Tom Cox
Never hugged a moss-covered boulder? It's really time you did
Tom Cox: Exploring Devon's river Dart takes Tom Cox to the magical and eerie Wistman's Wood where faeries and legends thrive
Looking death in the face is part of country life
Tom Cox has moved from rural Norfolk to rural Devon – and has already been confronted with dead mice, rabbits and squirrels, tales of tragic frogs and murderous hedgehogs, and been bitten by a dog
Forget satnav – give me a good old-fashioned map any time
I've loved road maps for as long as I can remember – I adore OS maps even more. Why would anyone want to take a screen on a country walk, asks Tom Cox
Getting cat advice from my dad feels odd – even after a year and a half
Tom Cox: In Floyd, my dad has found his cat parallel – an excitable, boisterous, inquisitive creature, with two modes: 'on' or 'off'
Stray ginger cats: the pros and cons of taking one in
Over the past few years a succession of feral gingers have turned up on Tom Cox's door, from Mike 'The Wino to moon-faced Graham
Eight rules for walks in the country
From assertive greetings to dealing with cows, Tom Cox offers country walking advice that a standard ramblers' guide won't tell you
Confessions of a wannabe sheep owner
I'm about to get my first sheep – a gregarious ram called Grayling – and I'm feeling out of my depth. Perhaps the wasps that keep stinging me are trying to tell me something
Birdwatching for beginners: don't forget the binoculars
My relationships with birds have been more distant than most. I worry about feeling even more heartbroken about those that my cats have killed
Stone Angel: in search of a lost Norfolk acid folk classic
On his quest for the debut album by 70s band Stone Angel, Tom Cox searches a shed full of rare records in Suffolk, and even tracks down the band's founding members
My dad and the toad that lives in his shoe
Tom Cox: My dad's house is overrun with animals lurking in unexpected places – so I could hardly be surprised when he brought a toad to Norfolk in one of his old loafers
What's your favourite accent?
For Tom Cox it's the Norfolk accent, which has a certain West Country twang but a more subtle sound, and a dialect that is full of affectionate touches
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