-
The not-so-ugly duckling: What to know about the quirky Irish water spanielWith its curly topknot, ‘rat-tail’ and boundless energy for water, the Irish water spaniel is a breed apart. Quirky, clever and affectionate, it has been winning hearts for centuries — even if it still gets mistaken for a poodle.
-
Meet the basset hound: Low-slung in stature, high in charmBorn in France and perfected in England, the basset hound has been tracking scent trails and stealing hearts for centuries — a low-to-the-ground, long-eared charmer with a perfect amount of wrinkles.
-
Keeper’s Cottage at Heckfield Place: When does a hotel not feel like a hotel? When it feels like homeCountry Life visits Keeper’s Cottage at Heckfield Place in Hampshire, a private space that encourages creativity and offers true comfort.
-
'A phenomenon that has shaped Britain’s landscapes and wildlife for millennia': A five minute guide to mast yearsThe ground is already littered with acorns and beech nuts, notes Florence Allen, thanks to a phenomenon called mast years, or mast seeding.
-
Bedlington terriers: The rare dog breed that conquered the coal mines and made it to CruftsThe Bedlington terrier originated in the mining towns of Northumberland, and while it might look like a lamb, it’s got the heart of a lion.
-
The otterhound — the story behind Britain's rarest breed of dogBred for centuries to hunt otters in icy rivers, these shaggy, web-footed hounds were once favoured by royalty. Today, fewer than 1,000 survive worldwide.
-
The Swan at Fittleworth review: The 500-year-old inn that’s as popular now as when Turner stayedThe Swan at Fittleworth's previous guests include Kipling, Turner and J. M. Barrie.
-
300 years old, 40ft tall, 30ft wide: The world’s largest yew hedge has just received its annual trimAugust is hedge-trimming season on the Bathurst Estate, in Cirencester.
-
‘She’s absolutely everything to me. She’s my future, my hope, my light’: How Labrador retrievers went from catching fish to saving livesAs International Assistance Dog Awareness Week comes to an end, we celebrate the Labrador retriever, one of the most cherished and versatile dog breeds.
-
Reading al fresco: The best places in London to get lost in the written word, according to the Country Life teamIn London, north, east, south and west, there's a public place suitable for all performative acts of reading.
-
The Irish wolfhound: Meet the loyal and strong gentle giant that won the hearts of John F. Kennedy and the British ArmyFrom its roots in ancient Ireland to its present-day role as the Irish Guards' official mascot, the Irish Wolfhound shows that loyalty, strength, and grace are qualities worth celebrating.
-
How to make The Connaught Bar's legendary martini — and a few othersIt's the weekend which means it's time to kick back and make yourself an ice cold martini — courtesy of The Connaught Bar.
-
These rarely-seen images of Glastonbury in the 1980s capture the world’s most famous music festival in its rawest and most magical formLong before the luxury yurts, pop-up spas, and Champagne bars, Glastonbury looked like something else altogether.
