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The chalky figures festooning our landscape might be a mystery, but they delight us nonethelessThe abstract white steed of Uffington and the excitable giant of Cerne Abbas may be Britain’s most famous chalk icons, but our landscape is filled with plenty more
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Endangered bumblebees, sifting spoonbills and trespassing tortoises: Britain's railway network is a wildlife havenThe nation's flora and fauna have found peace in the thousands of miles of tracks that cross the country.
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That hammering you hear? It's actually the sound of SpringWoodpeckers are guardians of ancient broad-leaved woodlands, busy ecosystem engineers and keen consumers of ant porridge.
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The Lapwing, the bird with dozens names that is 'one of the most evocative sights and sounds of the countryside'Often preceded by its otherworldly call, the jaunty emerald-and-purple lapwing is an increasingly rare presence in southern England, says Vicky Liddell, as she explores a new initiative to halt the decline.
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From oinking fugitives to ecological engineers: How wild boars have re-established themselves in our woodland and what to do if they try and steal your shoppingOnce a common sight for our Neolithic ancestors, the wild boar was hunted to extinction. Now, in places such as the Forest of Dean, they are slowly returning.
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'The most important spring landscape flower in Britain' that 'engulfs everything in its path' — The unstoppable exuberance of the frothing cow parsleyA vital source of food in early spring for insects, cow parsley has taken control of the nation's roadside verges, fuelled by increasing nitrogen levels.
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From the Box to the Yox — how did our rivers get their names?British river names trip off the tongue like nonsense of Edward Lear, but the meanings behind these great watercourses run deep.
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Twelfth Night: What it is, when it falls and why it's the biggest celebration we no longer enjoyOnce a time of merriment when rules were subverted, Twelfth Night has long since lost its sparkle, says Vicky Liddell, as she digs into the colourful past of the Feast of Fools and finds that some traditions live on.
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England’s chalk downlands: 'The European equivalent of a tropical rainforest'Every summer, England’s chalk downlands are embroidered with a patch-work of wildflowers — from the horseshoe vetch’s yellow plumes to sainfoin’s pink spikes — all serenaded by an army of butterflies, says Vicky Liddell.
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Whose coos are whose? The five types of pigeon you’ll see in BritainThere are 300 members of the pigeon family — or 'columba', as its properly known — and they're found on every continent. Only five are found in appreciable numbers in the wild in Britain, however, as Vicky Liddell explains.
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How to keep ducks: What to buy, how to keep them, and nine varieties to get you startedOrnamental waterfowl are an endlessly cheering and fascinating addition to any stretch of water, but they can make a mess. Vicky Liddell asks experienced keepers for their advice. Illustrations by Fiona Osbaldstone for Country Life.
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Curious Questions: What is a barrow? The burial mounds that pre-date Stonehenge by seven centuriesLong or round, large or small, prehistoric tumuli dot the countryside. Vicky Liddell explores the history, folklore and literary influence of burial mounds or barrows and reveals how they were nearly lost to the 18th-century digging mania.
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The beekeeper who became an accidental distiller: 'When I took it to the farmers’ market, it sold out within an hour’Frustrated by wasted honey in her frames, a beekeeper tried soaking them in whisky. The results are award-winning, discovers Vicky Liddell, as she samples Beeble’s spirits.
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In Focus: The oldest known map of the cosmos, and the detectorists who sold an £8m find for just £13,000A bronze ‘sky disc’, thought to be the world’s oldest map of the cosmos, is the star attraction of the British Museum's 'The World of Stonehenge' exhibition. Vicky Liddell takes a look.
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Dandelions: Everything you need to know about the humble flower that carpets the world in yellowWhether carpeting verges in a blaze of golden yellow or inviting us to puff its globular seed heads into the breeze, the humble dandelion is indomitable and ubiquitous, says Vicky Liddell.
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Curious Questions: Why is gin flavoured with juniper?The prickly juniper bush has been in decline for decades, a worrying development at a time when gin is soaring in popularity. Vicky Liddell takes a look at the history of this fascinating plant, and discovers that it's making a comeback on Surrey’s North Downs.
