
James Fisher
James Fisher is the Deputy Digital Editor of Country Life. Born in the USA, he moved to a barn in Suffolk when he was 10 years old, which is when he first saw a cow and fell in love with the countryside. After studying economics at Newcastle University, he decided to travel the world. After the success of his blog, he then foolishly decided to make a living out of writing. He has worked full-time at Country Life since 2016 and has written extensively on the countryside, travel, motoring and property. He lives in Bermondsey, London, with his partner Annabel and a large-white cat called Ted. He also hosts the Country Life Podcast, which you should absolutely listen to.
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A water-tower conversion on the north Devon coast with 360º views of the countryside
Buying a water tower and converting it into a home sounds like folly. Which is why you should buy one that's been completed by someone else.
By James Fisher Published
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Higher taxes and lower profits drive supply of farmland for sale to five-year high
A storm of looming tax rises, reducing debt and lower profits is forcing a lot of farmers to sell up, as research from Savills shows farmland for sale at a post-Brexit high.
By James Fisher Published
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The essence of perfection: A modern Arts-and-Crafts masterpiece in Surrey
Someone has been studying Country Life — This Arts-and-Crafts home near Godalming was crafted under the watchful eye of some of our favourite architects and interior designers. The result? A symphony of elegant style named Millhanger Farmhouse.
By James Fisher Published
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The Dawn Chorus: A goose and its conker, naked rollerskating nuns and a £4.2 million bronze buck
Plus, a koi massacre blamed on otters and the property of the day.
By James Fisher Published
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Bentley launches new fragrance, causing me to briefly lose touch with reality
Bentley's has launched an Eau de Parfum named Become. James Fisher ponders the nature of the 21st-century economic system as a result.
By James Fisher Published
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Do leopards hunt in packs, and other frequently asked travel questions, with Rosie Paterson
As the nights close in, Country Life's travel editor Rosie Paterson joins the podcast to talk about all things travel.
By James Fisher Published
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A 12th century Benedictine monastery with its own chapel that's now a seven-bedroom family home
There are homes with original features, and then there's Horsham St Faith Priory in Norfolk.
By James Fisher Published
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Dawn Chorus: How to weigh a Galapagos tortoise, Wes Streeting refuses to be fired out of a cannon and the international crisp festival
A new website allowing the public to submit ideas on how to improve the NHS has, of course, been flooded with ridiculous suggestions.
By James Fisher Published
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Agromenes: From the big things to the little things, there are plenty of reasons to be cheerful
Our Countryside Crusader refuses to be melancholy as the autumn rolls in. Instead, he reveals plenty to be happy about.
By James Fisher Published
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Paul O'Grady's oasis of nature in Kent comes to the market with seven bedrooms, 20 acres and a dance studio
At Knoll Hill House, the comedian and entertainer created a gorgeous small estate that is perfect for families, entertaining and a home to wildlife.
By James Fisher Published
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Getting lost in the woods: The Cotswold hotel that puts you up and in the trees
At TreeDwellers, creator Tim Rees has attempted to create a luxury experience in the woodland canopy in which you can switch off and reset. His elegant idea has been executed with aplomb.
By James Fisher Published
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The McLaren Artura Spider: A hybrid triumph that carries on a rich British tradition
McLaren's hybrid supercar has been re-engineered to perfection. The result is an eye-wateringly quick spaceship that is endlessly entertaining and easy to drive.
By James Fisher Published
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The Dawn Chorus: We tried a Guinness shandy so you don't have to
Plus the quiz of the day, swimming the Channel three times to raise money for the Garden Museum, and why the moon looks so big and bright.
By James Fisher Published
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Three bedrooms under thatch that featured in Midsomer Murders
This thatched cottage is a star of the screen, and it's not hard to see why.
By James Fisher Published
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Conker cheating scandal rocks world championships, a kingfisher becomes ungovernable, and dogs in the army rewarded with latest tech: It's the Dawn Chorus
Plus, the quiz of the day, a modern day Arts-and-Crafts masterpiece for sale, plus Jane Austen's writing desk returns to Southampton — it's the Dawn Chorus, our regular daily round-up of things you don't need to know, but you will enjoy finding out about nonetheless.
By James Fisher Published
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If I could, I wood: Beat the Christmas rush by buying your own tree farm
What gift do you give someone who already has everything they need? A Christmas tree farm, of course.
By James Fisher Published
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In with the old, in with the new: a seven bedroom Arts-and-Crafts house in Hampshire that's six years old
Beeches Hill near Alton walks an elegant tightrope of having plenty of space, contemporary features and elegant design. All under one roof.
By James Fisher Published
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North of England crushes the south in crucial 'can you afford to buy a house' competition
No longer just a safe space for those who didn't get into Oxford or Cambridge, the county of Durham is now considered England's most affordable place to buy a house.
By James Fisher Published
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Dawn Chorus: David Hockney in the south of France, Christmas lights, quiz, and how to eat a hamburger like the royals
A painting from Hockney's time in the south of France sells well at Sotheby's, an ambitious plan to save Scotland's capercaillie, plus you've been eating hamburgers wrong.
By James Fisher Published
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Knead a rest? Rent a house on the street made famous by Ridley Scott's Hovis advert
Before Alien and Blade Runner, there was a little boy cycling up a street in Shaftesbury delivering bread. Now, one of the properties on that famous street is available for you to stay in.
By James Fisher Published
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A four-bedroom home in a Cornish valley that opens up like a Tardis
Mill Cottage in the Red River Valley looks achingly rural on the outside, but is gloriously refurbished for modern family living on the inside.
By James Fisher Published
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Respite for Brighton's heritage, what's rarer: a fish or a 50p? and how digging through your drawers can save the planet. It's the Dawn Chorus
We're running out of salmon. We're running out of copper. And other stories. Plus a quiz, and a house with a moat for less than £500k.
By James Fisher Published
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A two-bedroom cottage with a moat in the Lune Valley for less than £500,000
Thurland Cottage is the perfect small home in some of the finest English countryside, with a castle quite literally on your doorstep.
By James Fisher Published
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Millennial misery continues, as they become first generation of homebuyers to see mortgage repayments increase
New data published in Hamptons' Generational Affordability Index is bad news for those born between 1981–95 who have made it on to the property ladder.
By James Fisher Published