River Cottage Forever

TV Show · Reality

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingsall's dream of escaping the city sprawl and all its stresses and downshifting into rural dorset is finally realised when he arrives at River Cottage in his 1960s Ford Corsair convertible. His year-long experiment, living off the fat of the land, and the sweat of his brow, involves a steep learning curve... and a lot of fun! Wrestling with free-spirited piglets, waking in the dead of night to protect his vegetable garden from a slug attack, and making cider from a windfall of apples all involve plenty of help from his friends and neighbours

1999 · 24m
Starring Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
Director Zam Baring

Season 1

  • EPISODE 1
    Episode 1
    It is February at River Cottage, and there is precious little to eat in the pantry. But that does not stop Hugh from building "Chickenopolis." Hugh also navigates the River Brit to the sea, and receives surprising news about his sheep.
    25m
  • EPISODE 2
    Episode 2
    Eager to secure fishing rights to the cottage's lake, Hugh makes a wager with his landlord Antony Hichens: If Hugh can prepare a meal of carp that satisfies Antony and his guests, then Hugh shall have fishing rights to the property's lake.
    24m
  • EPISODE 3
    Episode 3
    It is late May, and there is bad news all around regarding the livestock, but Hugh's spirits are raised when news of cuttlefish hit his ears. At the Shaftesbury Market, Hugh ends up in a bidding war for a calf and ends up paying too much.
    25m
  • EPISODE 4
    Episode 4
    Hugh is determined to successfully harvest his own hay this season. He also clears his polytunnel of peas and beans in preparation for the Bridport Farmers' Market, and receives local assistance to turn his wool into fashionable garments.
    25m
  • EPISODE 5
    Episode 5
    Hugh summons experts to help deal with his uncooperative livestock, and soon, he feels confident in entering his saddleback, Delia, into the Okehampton Agricultural Show. Hugh also grapples with a serious aphid problem in the polytunnel.
    24m
  • EPISODE 6
    Episode 6
    Hugh has lived in River Cottage for six months, and that means his pigs have a date with butcher Ray Smith. It also means it is time for a party. Hugh also learns a remarkable technique for catching razor clams down by the seashore.
    24m

Related

  • Return to River Cottage
  • River Cottage to the Core
  • River Cottage: Australia
  • Gourmet Farmer
  • River Cottage Bites
  • Rick Stein's Cornwall
  • Jamie Oliver
  • Jamie Oliver: Seasons
  • James Martin's Islands to Highlands

Cast & Crew

  • Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
    Actor
  • Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
    Host
  • Z‌B
    Zam Baring
    Director
  • N‌P
    Nick Powell
    Producer
  • J‌S
    Jane Stephenson
    Producer
  • Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
    Writer

About

River Cottage Forever

Reality

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingsall's dream of escaping the city sprawl and all its stresses and downshifting into rural dorset is finally realised when he arrives at River Cottage in his 1960s Ford Corsair convertible. His year-long experiment, living off the fat of the land, and the sweat of his brow, involves a steep learning curve... and a lot of fun! Wrestling with free-spirited piglets, waking in the dead of night to protect his vegetable garden from a slug attack, and making cider from a windfall of apples all involve plenty of help from his friends and neighbours

Information

Studio
Channel 4
Released
1999
Rated
TV-14
© 1999 Channel 4 Television

Languages

Original Audio
English (Australia), English (United Kingdom)
Audio

English (United Kingdom)

Subtitles

English (United States) (SDH)

  • Español (México)
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

  • Algeria
  • Angola
  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahrain
  • Benin
  • Botswana
  • Burkina Faso
  • Cameroun
  • Cape Verde
  • Chad
  • Congo, The Democratic Republic Of The
  • Congo, Republic of
  • Côte d’Ivoire
  • Egypt
  • Eswatini
  • Gabon
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • India
  • Iraq
  • Israel
  • Jordan
  • Kenya
  • Kuwait
  • Lebanon
  • Liberia
  • Libya
  • Madagascar
  • Malawi
  • Mali
  • Mauritania
  • Mauritius
  • Morocco
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Niger (English)
  • Nigeria
  • Oman
  • Qatar
  • Rwanda
  • São Tomé and Príncipe
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Senegal
  • Seychelles
  • Sierra Leone
  • South Africa
  • Sri Lanka
  • Tajikistan
  • Tanzania, United Republic Of
  • Tunisia
  • Turkmenistan
  • Uganda
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Yemen
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe

Asia Pacific

  • Australia
  • Bhutan
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Cambodia
  • Fiji
  • 香港
  • Indonesia (English)
  • 日本
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Lao People's Democratic Republic
  • 澳門
  • Malaysia (English)
  • Maldives
  • Micronesia, Federated States of
  • Mongolia
  • Nauru
  • Nepal
  • New Zealand
  • Pakistan
  • Palau
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • Solomon Islands
  • 대한민국
  • 台灣
  • Thailand
  • Tonga
  • Turkmenistan
  • Uzbekistan
  • Vanuatu
  • Vietnam

Europe

  • Albania
  • Armenia
  • Österreich
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Bulgaria
  • Croatia
  • Cyprus
  • Czechia
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France (Français)
  • Georgia
  • Deutschland
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Ireland
  • Italia
  • Kosovo
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg (English)
  • Malta
  • Moldova, Republic Of
  • Montenegro
  • Nederland
  • North Macedonia
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal (Português)
  • Romania
  • Россия
  • Serbia
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • España
  • Sverige
  • Schweiz
  • Türkiye (English)
  • Ukraine
  • United Kingdom

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Anguilla
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Argentina (Español)
  • Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Belize
  • Bermuda
  • Bolivia (Español)
  • Brasil
  • Virgin Islands, British
  • Cayman Islands
  • Chile (Español)
  • Colombia (Español)
  • Costa Rica (Español)
  • Dominica
  • República Dominicana
  • Ecuador (Español)
  • El Salvador (Español)
  • Grenada
  • Guatemala (Español)
  • Guyana
  • Honduras (Español)
  • Jamaica
  • México
  • Montserrat
  • Nicaragua (Español)
  • Panamá
  • Paraguay (Español)
  • Perú
  • St. Kitts and Nevis
  • Saint Lucia
  • St. Vincent and The Grenadines
  • Suriname
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Turks and Caicos
  • Venezuela (Español)

The United States and Canada

  • Canada (English)
  • Canada (Français)
  • United States
  • Estados Unidos (Español México)

Copyright © 2026 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.

  • Internet Service Terms
  • Apple TV & Privacy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Support
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

  • Algeria
  • Angola
  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahrain
  • Benin
  • Botswana
  • Burkina Faso
  • Cameroun
  • Cape Verde
  • Chad
  • Congo, The Democratic Republic Of The
  • Congo, Republic of
  • Côte d’Ivoire
  • Egypt
  • Eswatini
  • Gabon
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • India
  • Iraq
  • Israel
  • Jordan
  • Kenya
  • Kuwait
  • Lebanon
  • Liberia
  • Libya
  • Madagascar
  • Malawi
  • Mali
  • Mauritania
  • Mauritius
  • Morocco
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Niger (English)
  • Nigeria
  • Oman
  • Qatar
  • Rwanda
  • São Tomé and Príncipe
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Senegal
  • Seychelles
  • Sierra Leone
  • South Africa
  • Sri Lanka
  • Tajikistan
  • Tanzania, United Republic Of
  • Tunisia
  • Turkmenistan
  • Uganda
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Yemen
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe

Asia Pacific

  • Australia
  • Bhutan
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Cambodia
  • Fiji
  • 香港
  • Indonesia (English)
  • 日本
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Lao People's Democratic Republic
  • 澳門
  • Malaysia (English)
  • Maldives
  • Micronesia, Federated States of
  • Mongolia
  • Nauru
  • Nepal
  • New Zealand
  • Pakistan
  • Palau
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • Solomon Islands
  • 대한민국
  • 台灣
  • Thailand
  • Tonga
  • Turkmenistan
  • Uzbekistan
  • Vanuatu
  • Vietnam

Europe

  • Albania
  • Armenia
  • Österreich
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Bulgaria
  • Croatia
  • Cyprus
  • Czechia
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France (Français)
  • Georgia
  • Deutschland
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Ireland
  • Italia
  • Kosovo
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg (English)
  • Malta
  • Moldova, Republic Of
  • Montenegro
  • Nederland
  • North Macedonia
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal (Português)
  • Romania
  • Россия
  • Serbia
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • España
  • Sverige
  • Schweiz
  • Türkiye (English)
  • Ukraine
  • United Kingdom

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Anguilla
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Argentina (Español)
  • Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Belize
  • Bermuda
  • Bolivia (Español)
  • Brasil
  • Virgin Islands, British
  • Cayman Islands
  • Chile (Español)
  • Colombia (Español)
  • Costa Rica (Español)
  • Dominica
  • República Dominicana
  • Ecuador (Español)
  • El Salvador (Español)
  • Grenada
  • Guatemala (Español)
  • Guyana
  • Honduras (Español)
  • Jamaica
  • México
  • Montserrat
  • Nicaragua (Español)
  • Panamá
  • Paraguay (Español)
  • Perú
  • St. Kitts and Nevis
  • Saint Lucia
  • St. Vincent and The Grenadines
  • Suriname
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Turks and Caicos
  • Venezuela (Español)

The United States and Canada

  • Canada (English)
  • Canada (Français)
  • United States
  • Estados Unidos (Español México)