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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A spectacular tower for sale that's a blend of Victorian folly, architectural marvel and 21st century family home
Hadlow Tower has space, and a back story of love, jealousy and intrigue.
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Some Like (to quiz when) It Hot: Country Life Quiz of the Day heatwave special, July 11, 2025
If you're struggling to keep cool — and who isn't? — our Quiz of the Day will at least take your mind off the soaring temperatures.
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Some Like (to quiz when) It Hot: Country Life Quiz of the Day heatwave special, July 11, 2025
If you're struggling to keep cool — and who isn't? — our Quiz of the Day will at least take your mind off the soaring temperatures.
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Wimbledon at the movies, and the Royal Family's bank: Country Life Quiz of the Day, July 10, 2025
Plus wonderful words and one of Britain's most beautiful insects in Tuesday's quiz.
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A waterside idyll and the Henrys and Williams who have ruled Britain: Country Life Quiz of the Day, July 9, 2025
Plus Hilary Mantel, Octavia Hill and more in Wednesday's quiz.
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The English church that looks like a Van Gogh fever dream: Country Life Quiz of the Day, July 8, 2025
Plus wonderful words and one of Britain's most beautiful insects in Tuesday's quiz.
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The Beatles meet Disney, and the first-ever Cruft's: Country Life Quiz of the Day, July 7, 2025
Monday's Quiz of the Day covers dog shows, revolutions and animated classics.
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From the archive: 'This retina-awakening advert for British Nylon Spinners Limited sums up the swinging 1960s perfectly'
Every Monday, Melanie Bryan, delves into the hidden depths of Country Life's extraordinary archive to bring you a long-forgotten story, photograph or advert.
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A bridge just far enough: Country Life Quiz of the Day, July 4, 2025
Lions, castles and even a couple of US-themed questions for the 4th of July in Friday's Quiz of the Day.
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Roger Moore's James Bond debut: Country Life Quiz of the Day, July 3, 2025
Country houses, battles and London landmarks in Thursday's new-and-improved Quiz of the Day.