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The wine merchant: 'We’re all shattered by the time we close at 3pm on Christmas Eve'
In the last of our series on the people who make Christmas in the country what it is, Paula Lester speaks to wine merchant Tom Ashworth.
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The gamekeeper: ‘I’ve lost count of the school plays that I made by the skin of my teeth’
Our series on the people who make Christmas in the country what it is continues as Paula Lester meets Andrew Holloway.
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The Christmas wreath-maker: 'They sell quicker than we can make them'
All this week we're running a series on the people who make Christmas in the country what it is. Today, Paula Lester meets wreath maker Ellie Taylor.
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Haymarket Townhouse hotel review: Where to stay when out on the town in London’s West End
Checking into the Townhouse at The Haymarket Hotel in the beating heart of London is like having your own exclusive pied à terre moments from the city’s best-known landmarks and West End shows, says Paula Lester.
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Tarquin Millington-Drake's tale of 500 hours, 45,000 photos, and the endless subtlety of the wild grey partridge
Photographer and author Tarquin Millington-Drake's dedication to capturing wild grey partridge is extraordinary. Paula Lester went to meet him.
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Le Meurice Paris hotel review: Illuminating art in the city of light
What are the ingredients of an unforgettable trip to Paris? An overnight stay at The Dorchester on Park Lane, before hopping on the Eurostar and arriving at Le Meurice overlooking Jardin des Tuileries in time for lunch, says Paula Lester.
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Hôtel Plaza Athénée review: Where dedicated followers of fashion stay
In the beating heart of Paris, stands a statuesque hotel bedecked with signature bright red awnings and tumbling geraniums that’s as haute couture as the boutiques lining the streets surrounding it, discovers Paula Lester.
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No. 131 Cheltenham hotel review: Looking out for number 131
Smack-bang on the Promenade in Cheltenham — one of our most elegant spa towns — No. 131 is a chic and cool hotel that oozes glamour without compromising on its original Georgian period charm, says Paula Lester.
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Thyme hotel review: All in good Thyme in the Cotswolds
This Cotswolds idyll – which encompasses a series of cottages, manor houses and barns in the village of Southrop – is a true epicurean haven of tranquillity that’s guaranteed to be unlike any other hotel you’ve stayed at, says Paula Lester.
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Temple Guiting Manor hotel review: Manor from heaven in the Cotswolds
Temple Guiting Manor is one of the country’s most handsome Tudor manor houses; together with its surrounding barns, it affords lavish and characterful self-catering accommodation in the heart of the Cotswolds. Paula Lester took a trip.
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Collective nouns for birds: Why we call it a murder of crows, murmuration of starlings and a conspiracy of ravens
We celebrate our favourite collective nouns for birds, from the weird and the wonderful to the most curious.
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The Country Life guide to the Cotswolds: Where to go, what to see, where to stay and what to eat
Straddling five counties, the Cotswolds is arguably England's most famous region outside of London. Here’s our guide to what to do, where to stay and what to eat.
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Fancy owning your own London townhouse? Now you can book one for the night whenever you want…
Once owned by Henry Austen — and where his sister Jane wrote parts of Sense and Sensibility — Henry’s Townhouse in Marylebone proffers Georgian splendour and a real home-from-home in the heart of the capital, says Paula Lester.
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Wild Thyme & Honey hotel review: A genuinely dog-friendly, boutique country inn in the heart of the Cotswolds
Many hotels promise to be dog-friendly, but few are as truly welcoming as Wild Thyme & Honey in the Cotswolds, say Paula Lester and her labrador Nimrod.
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The champion dog trainer with a game-changing method who can teach any dog new tricks
Award-winning dog trainer Ben Randall — who looks after the dogs for everyone from David Beckham to Gordon Ramsay — happened upon his own approach to training which made him hugely successful. These days, he's sharing the secret, and Paula Lester paid a visit with her labrador, Nimrod. Photos by Sarah Farnsworth for Country Life.
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Harry Parker: 'Losing my legs is one of the better things that happened to me. I’ve had a more interesting life'
The former soldier, author and double amputee Harry Parker on how The Duchess of Cornwall helped him rediscover his creativity. Interview by Paula Lester; portrait by Clara Molden.
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Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, to guest edit Country Life to mark her 75th birthday
HRH The Duchess of Cornwall is to join a prestigious line-up of royal Guest Editors when she takes charge of the July 13 issue of Country Life to mark her 75th birthday.
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The Clockspire restaurant review: A sensation in Somerset — and how to prepare their signature venison dish
The Clockspire in sleepy Milborne Port offers a stylish slice of sophisticated dining that you might not expect to discover in rural Somerset. Paula Lester paid a visit, and came away with an amazing experience — and a wonderful venison recipe to share.
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Jeremy Clarkson: 'The countryside should be given to rockstars... they want it to look nice and they are prepared to invest in it'
The presenter talks to Paula Lester about the realities of farming and why rock stars should run the countryside.
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Farming for our futures: The full story of How The Prince of Wales turned Sandringham organic
Over the past year, we have documented the Sandringham estate’s move to a fully organic enterprise. Here, The Prince of Wales tells Paula Lester why farming naturally and sustainably is so vital for the soil, wildlife and our own health.
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A weekend in Sherborne, Dorset: What to do, where to eat, where to stay
Paula Lester — herself a resident of Dorset — shares tips for those looking to enjoy a getaway in Sherborne.
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The 10 british songbirds at risk of extinction, from the turtle dove to the marsh tit
The latest figures on songbirds make for sobering reading.
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Domaine des Etangs review: 'A slice of French heaven on earth'
Secreted deep in the Charente countryside, Domaine des Etangs offers serenity, solitude and more than a dusting of fairytale magic, as Paula Lester found out.
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The Fife Arms, Braemar: Sustainable, beautiful and the ultimate destination for fishing enthusiasts
The Fife Arms – a gloriously decadent hotel in the Scottish highlands – is a magnificent cornucopia of art, taxidermy and fieldsports, finds Paula Lester.
