Hen-pecked urbanites

Want a taste of the rural life but don't want to give up your city existence - then join the crowd of followers checking out rural webcams - on which they can watch newborn lambs playing in the fields, hens being fed, and all other aspects of country life - all from the comfort of an  urban home...

It's a common dream - escaping the rat race for a greener existence in the English countryside. But for those who can't quite bear the thought of quitting the city, watching the country dream unfold via webcam is a solution many are turning to.

The new trend of rural webcams has become enormously popular of late as people tune in to watch country scenes such as cows grazing. It's not just us Brits logging on either - people from all over the world are craving a taste of English country life, and thousands are watching the webcams each day.

Attracting the most attention are very ordinary events such as hens pecking grain and cows walking from barn to field.

One example of the webcams is LambWatch - the live 24-hour audio and video feed showing the everyday running of Marlfield Farm near Skipton, Yorkshire, which has been attracting viewers from Australia and the USA on a regular basis.

Another example is Hencam, which follows three chickens through their everyday business including egg laying, eating grain and scraps and running around the farmyard in Wilsden, Yorkshire.

Viewers can watch apple trees blossoming, barn owls nesting and birds feeing their young on a selection of other webcams. Later in the year, they can tune in to view hay being harvested and sheep being shorn.

Check out these other webcams: www.rollestonefarm.com to watch live foaling videos from a stud and www.farmlink.org.uk to follow a day in the life of Maisey the cow.

When in Rome, check out this webcam...

If you fancy following in the footsteps of medieval pilgrims who walked from Canterbury, England to Rome, you can now enlist the help of an international web portal to help you on your way.

When launched, the new site will provide detailed guidance on the 1,000-kilometre Italian stretch of the Via Francigena, running from the Valle d'Aosta to Lazio and will contain information on places to stay, services en route and places to eat.

The journey could take up to three months, starting in Canterbury, through France, over the Alps, through Parma and Tuscany and ending in Rome.

Picture by jcookfisher