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London’s only 2026 super prime development is fit for a king — and more than 100 horsesThe former home of The King’s Troop and one of the capital’s most visible ceremonial military bases is being turned into a new top-end residential neighbourhood. Arabella Youens puts on a hard hat for an early visit.
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'It was grand, untouched and cheap — too tempting to ignore': Isabel Bannerman on her (rather amazing) first house in the countryThe gardener and writer Isabel Bannerman went in at the deep end with her first country house: a 300-year-old, Grade I-listed Baroque mansion that was falling to pieces.
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What is the secret to choosing colours that are sympathetic to the past?Natural-paint manufacturer Edward Bulmer has teamed up with Laura Cavendish, Countess of Burlington, to produce 24 new colours inspired by Chatsworth House.
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How the founders of Weaver Green turned a Victorian cricket pavilion into the perfect off-grid escapeThis restored cricket pavilion is the perfect escape from the demands of busy lives, finds Arabella Youens. Photographs by Simon Brown.
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How retrofitting your country house could save you more than £50,000 a year — even if it’s listedMaking historic homes warmer and more energy-efficient to run has its challenges, but the emergence of super-efficient heat pumps has opened up exciting opportunities.
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The revival of interest in folk art is fueling a new fascination with the art of decorating wagonsThree devotees share their enthusiasm with Arabella Youens.
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A spectacular home with a touch of Downton Abbey about it, standing beside one of the last remaining Saxon churches in BritainKirk Hammerton Hall is 250 years old, yet is 900 years newer than the church which stands close by to it in this beautiful Yorkshire village.
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A house that's the epitome of the Yorkshire dream, in the heart of the county's 'Golden Triangle'Helperby Manor, one of the finest homes for sale in Yorkshire right now, offers a glorious mix of beauty, style and grandeur, as well as a superb location in a wonderful village. Arabella Youens takes a look.
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A country manor that's 18th century on the outside, 21st century on the insideHouse price growth in the north of England has outstripped that seen down south in recent years, but there's still a huge gap — and houses such as Hartlaw Manor offer astounding value.
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A Cluedo board rendered real at a country pile with 19 bedrooms, and a gym in the chapelThere aren't many privately-owned houses in Britain where you need a map to get around. Burton Hill House is one of them.
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A Georgian lodge tucked away on a 900-acre National Trust estate in one of the most beautiful settings in PembrokeshireA Georgian lodge has come up for sale on a National Trust-owned estate, just a short walk from one of the prettiest beaches in Wales.
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How do you add historic character back into a soulless room?Cornices, skirting and a striking colour palette are all key, says Emma Burns, managing director at Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler.
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Rolling Stones legend Charlie Watts spent four decades in this idyllic Devon home — and now it's up for saleIn the early 1980s, Charlie Watts and his wife Shirley were looking to buy a country escape. They found it in the pages of Country Life, and stayed there happily for the rest of their lives. Now their daughter Seraphina is putting this idyllic home on the market, as Arabella Youens reports.
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'We made the mistake of accepting the word of a surveyor. Off we went on a voyage of restoration lasting 30 years': Griff Rhys-Jones on his first house in the countryThe comedian, actor and conservation campaigner Griff Rhys-Jones has called rural Suffolk home for over 40 years.
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A Georgian home that's the epitome of the country house dream, with four-poster beds, Aga and pool, set in one of Britain's most sought-after spotsThis glorious house in Bruton 'would have sold almost instantly' during the race for space. These days buyers seeking dream homes in Somerset can afford to take their time a bit more — although things do seem to be speeding up again, as Arabella Youens reports.
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A medieval parsonage that's a 'fantasy mash-up of architectural styles', just down the road from a swish Somerset hotspotThe Grade I-listed Tintinhull Court is a breathtaking home that straddles the eras.
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'It was a complete wreck': Reclaiming a Hampshire coaching house from the earthGeorgie Wykeham transforms a stable into an all-purpose entertaining space.
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A Piddle Valley paradise for sale, with eight acres, and a pool that'll mean you can't wait for winter to endArabella Youens looks at the wonderful High Waterston Farm, in Dorset’s beautiful Piddle Valley, about four miles from Dorchester.
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How do you add a dash of theatricality to a 1930s house? By taking inspiration from the legendary architect and set designer Oliver MesselThe design of Alice Palmer’s kitchen was influenced by her foreign travels.
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‘The pair drove to Belgium in their Mini and returned with the chair wrapped in duvets’: The mother-and-daughter duo that brought a converted Cotswolds barn back to lifeArabella Youens speaks to Laura Berkeley-Hawkes and her daughter Gracy about working together and breathing life back into a converted Cotswolds barn.
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Making space in a Georgian terraced Chelsea cottageGuy Goodfellow removed an internal wall to transform the sitting room of this Georgian terrace.
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How one family went about creating a welcoming kitchen in one of England's neo-Palladian houses‘We were nervous about creating a kitchen in such a grand room.'
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A grand country house and 329-acre estate for sale at £1.89 million — and it's on the market for the first time in a quarter of a millenniumArabella Youens takes a look at the beautiful Monreith House and Estate on the south-west coast of Scotland.
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A beautiful home on the outskirts of one of Scotland's prettiest market towns, and an easy commute to EdinburghArabella Youens looks at Kirklands House, a wonderful old home set in five acres of charming gardens near Melrose.
