Country Life was founded in 1897 by Edward Hudson, incorporating Racing Illustrated. For the last 120 years it has championed the pleasures of British rural life, as well as providing expert coverage of country house architecture, fine art, gardens and gardening, and fieldsports, as well as celebrating the people who are integral to its landscape. The magazine is well-known for advertising the most beautiful country houses for sale in Britain and abroad.
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Mark Hedges, Editor
Mark, Editor, grew up in the Cotswolds near Chipping Norton, in a house now owned by Jeremy Clarkson. After graduating from Durham, Mark worked as a gold prospector and at the leading bloodstock auction house Tattersalls, where he started the concept of the breeze-up sale. He now lives in Hampshire with his wife, who runs an award-winning cheese business (handy as Mark admits to particularly enjoying food that has been prepared by someone else), their three children and two terriers.
Rosie Paterson, Editor’s PA
Rosie joined Country Life in July 2014 after graduating from Oxford Brookes and a stint at the Sladmore Gallery, working on their stand at Masterpiece 2014. She grew up at her family’s prep school, Woodcote House School in Surrey. Rosie is known in the office for her interesting array of trousers, particularly one pair featuring zips.
Kate Green, Deputy Editor
Kate is the author of 10 books and has worked as an equestrian reporter at four Olympic Games. She commutes in from Berkshire, but her favourite place in the UK is Exmoor, close to where she grew up in West Somerset.
John Goodall, Architectural Editor
John spent his childhood in Kenya, Germany, India and Yorkshire before joining Country Life in 2007, via the University of Durham. Known for his irrepressible love of castles and the Frozen soundtrack and a laugh that lights up the lives of those around him, John also moonlights as a walking encyclopedia and is the author of three books.
Mary Miers, Fine Arts & Books Editor
Mary joined the team at Country Life after running Scotland’s Buildings at Risk Register. Despite living in 15 different homes, across several countries, while she was growing up, Mary continues to commute into London from Scotland each week. She is also the author of seven books.
Giles Kime, Interiors Editor
New Interiors Editor, Giles is a former Editor of Decanter magazine and author of three books; Decorating, Decorate To Speculate and Secrets Of Wine. In his spare time he is dragging an Arts & Crafts house on the banks of the River Itchen into the 21st century (kicking and screaming).
Paula Lester, Managing & Features Editor
With a degree in journalism from the London College of Printing, Paula joined Country Life after starting her career as a crime reporter on the The Sidmouth Herald in Devon. She lives in Dorset with her husband, a gamekeeper, and their three dogs and has written for The Independent and The Daily Telegraph, as well as Harpers & Queen, Horse & Hound and The Field. Paula can be found tweeting at @mrspaulaslester and her Instagram feed is @paulaslester
Victoria Marston, Deputy Features Editor
Victoria made the leap to Country Life from Horse & Hound after completing an MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield. Her family home is on the Kent/East Sussex border, where she collects broken horses as field ornaments. She once ran away to France for a year, but has promised never to do it again.
Annunciata Elwes, News & Property Editor
Annunciata Elwes (née Walton) joined Country Life after founding a literary and music festival at Milton Manor, Oxfordshire, and working at The Sunday Times Travel Magazine.
Hetty Chidwick, Luxury Editor
Hetty joined Country Life as Editorial Assistant before going on to pioneer the magazine’s luxury pages. Known for keeping the contents of a small wardrobe beneath her desk—because you never know—she is the go-to person for gift-giving advice. Outside work, you are most likely to find her in Daylesford farm shop in Gloucestershire.
Heather Clark, Deputy Art Editor
Heather studied fashion at university and specialised in graphic design. When she isn’t taking oil-painting classes, Heather and her husband devote their time to fostering dogs from Hounds First Sighthound rescue centre, chronicling the highs and lows in an online diary for Country Life.
Emma McCall, Art Editor
Emma grew up between Wiltshire and Dumfries-shire in Scotland and now resides in Henley. Emma trotted over to Country Life from the Horse & Hound picture desk and also designs and produces her own range of tableware, Once Upon a Table.
Lucy Ford, Picture Editor
Warwickshire girl Lucy comes from a press photographer background and has 17 years experience working on newspapers. In her opinion, a good photograph is one you wish you’d taken yourself. Lucy can be found tweeting at @lucyf79.
Emily Anderson, Deputy Picture Editor
Emily has always had a passion for photography, design and illustration and worked for a food and interiors media agency before joining Country Life. Her favourite season is autumn, for its rich and vibrant colour palette.
Jane Watkins, Chief Sub-Editor & Performing Arts Editor
Jane has written on topics as diverse as dance, physiotherapy and UFOs, which makes for an eclectic range of knowledge. She’s never happier than when she is sitting in a plush seat as the lights go down and the curtain goes up.
James Fisher, Sub-Editor
Despite growing up in New York City, James quickly learnt to love all things countryside after moving to Suffolk in 2002. Since graduating Newcastle University in 2013, he has worked on a farm, a shooting estate, at a charity, and as a reporter for a local newspaper. He is easily the tallest Sub-Editor, and in his free time listens to bands you’ve never heard of.
Toby Keel, Digital Editor
After growing up in the wild, concrete wastelands of south London, Toby spent years trying out various escape options from the capital. After spells in St Albans and St Andrews he resisted the urge to try St Austell, instead settling down in West Sussex. After making that move, working for Country Life seemed the perfect option.
Alexandra Fraser, Assistant Digital Editor
South African-born, Berkshire-bred Ally joined Country Life straight after graduating from University College London with a 1st in Classics. Now a certified town mouse, Ally embraces the Persephone lifestyle by spending half her time in our Farnborough office and the other half in London, missing her family labradors Claire and Rosie (born Ambrosia, but for some reason the name didn’t stick).
