Country Life 26 February 2025
What's in the Country Life 26 February 2025 issue of Country Life.


An officer and a gentleman
Smooth fox terriers are ‘mischief on four legs’ and boast character in abundance, as Flora Watkins discovers from devoted owners of these smart and charming dogs
Knock on wood
Woodpeckers have been busy hammering out the beat of our broad-leaved woodland for millennia. Vicky Liddell takes a closer look at these striking birds
What goes up, must come down
John Lewis-Stempel laments the ups and downs of Lake District fell walking in February as he goes from scampering mountain goat to plodding dobbin
There’s gold in them thar schools
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Churchill’s art, Shackleton’s boat and Turing’s reports — Madeleine Silver unearths the treasures belonging to Britain’s schools
Survival of the exceptional
How can independent schools prevent VAT on fees being the ‘straw that breaks the camel’s back’, asks Lucy Higginson
Sir Stephen Hough’s favourite painting
The classical pianist and composer chooses a virtuoso work from the mid 15th century
A glimpse of the sublime
John Goodall gains an insight into the era of Grand Tourism in the restored drawing room at Russborough in Co Wicklow
The legacy
Octavia Pollock applauds Ralph Allen, Bath’s ‘benevolent man’
You belong with me
Revd Colin Heber-Percy reflects on getting lost — and found — in Wiltshire’s Savernake For-est
Luxury
Hetty Lintell has all the ingredients for a wonderful wedding day, plus India Knight’s favourite things
Interiors
Author Ros Byam Shaw tells Arabella Youens how small and beautiful can go hand in hand
A brush with snowdrops
John Morley is calling it a day after growing and drawing Galanthus for 40 years, reports Tilly Ware
Foraging
Harness the raw power of bitter-cress to pep up the humble salad, suggests John Wright
Arts & antiques
Stuart Lochhead is revealed as a man behind the masks — Carla Passino talks to the art dealer about his passion for disguise
As good as gold
Glittering 14th-century works by Sienese artists influenced art far beyond the bounds of the Italian city, reveals Mary Miers
Book your place
The Country Life guide to open days at 50 schools across Britain
And much more
Country Life is unlike any other magazine: the only glossy weekly on the newsstand and the only magazine that has been guest-edited by His Majesty The King not once, but twice. It is a celebration of modern rural life and all its diverse joys and pleasures — that was first published in Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year. Our eclectic mixture of witty and informative content — from the most up-to-date property news and commentary and a coveted glimpse inside some of the UK's best houses and gardens, to gardening, the arts and interior design, written by experts in their field — still cannot be found in print or online, anywhere else.
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Robert Redford's Oscar and this week's unique royal funeral: Country Life Quiz of the Day, September 17, 2025
One of Hollywood's greats is remembered in Wednesday's quiz.
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The Gallivant review: The Camber Sands retreat with show-stopping seafood and a penchant for happiness
The coastal hotel in Rye, East Sussex, is utterly unique and almost faultless, but is seamlessly eclipsed by the real showstopper, its Anglo-French restaurant, Harry’s.
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Robert Redford's Oscar and this week's unique royal funeral: Country Life Quiz of the Day, September 17, 2025
One of Hollywood's greats is remembered in Wednesday's quiz.
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Country Life Quiz of the Day, September 16, 2025 gets Brutal(ist)
Divisive architecture is among the themes of today's quiz questions.
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Country Life Quiz of the Day, September 15, 2025 is cool for cats
New week? New quiz.
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Acronyms, underwater animals, pyramids, fast cars and masts. Learn something new with the Country Life Quiz of the Day
Our life is acronyms. Find out what they mean. Impress no-one.
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Give the Country Life Quiz of the Day, September 11, 2025 some lovin'
Test your general knowledge in Thursday's Quiz of the Day.
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Who is older — Brad or Tom? Country Life Quiz of the Day picture special, September 10, 2025
Your face will be a picture after doing Wednesday's quiz.
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How many strings does a viola have? The Country Life Quiz of the Day, September 9, 2025
A viola is larger than a violin and has a deeper sound, but how many strings does it have?
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A Pink Panther actor, a little ditty and some very long fingernails appear in this Country Life Quiz of the Day
Peter Sellers, a Cuckoo and a Guinness World Record holder walk into a bar... It's quiz night in the bar.