-
‘There are moments of formal dressing where one is humbled by the rules of it all’: A New Yorker tackles Royal Ascot for the first time
A day at the races filled with Royal processions, fantastical picnics and top hats might not sound particularly odd to us, but to visitors from America it’s a spectacle that has to be seen to be believed. One New Yorker recounts what he saw — and what he thought about it all.
-
When was the first ever Glastonbury festival? Country Life Quiz of the Day, June 26, 2025
Thursday's quiz looks at a landmark date at Worthy Farm.
-
From turtles to pink sea fans: Why Mediterranean marine life is drifting into British waters
Both leatherback sea turtles and the soft corrals’ presence near our shores coincides with our warming seas, Lotte Brundle writes.
-
Critics be damned, Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral gets Grade I status on advice from Historic England
Looking a bit like a large piece of moon-landing equipment on which you’d best not sit, with indoor lighting that wouldn’t look out of place in a nightclub, the building has ever divided opinions.
-
These rarely-seen images of Glastonbury in the 1980s capture the world’s most famous music festival in its rawest and most magical form
Long before the luxury yurts, pop-up spas, and Champagne bars, Glastonbury looked like something else altogether.
-
It's a cruel summer to be a bee with up to 80% of swarms dying if they cannot find a safe place to settle — but here is how you can help
Currently, swarms of bees are taking flight to search for new homes and up to 80% of these swarms will perish if they cannot find a safe place to settle, but we can all help, says the BBKA.
-
Curious questions: Why do golf balls have dimples? And why are tennis balls furry?
As the weather picks up and tennis takes over the silver screen, millions of us are starting to thinking about dusting off our golf clubs and tennis rackets. Which begs the question, why aren't the balls we use for tennis and golf perfectly smooth?
-
For every new stone mason, seven retire: St Paul's plan to save heritage crafts — and itself in the process
As St Paul’s Cathedral launches the Wren Centre of Excellence to train young people to repair Britain’s historic buildings, Lotte Brundle talks to restoration workers about why their industry is on a cliffs edge.
-
These are the 10 best places to live in the world — and nowhere in the UK or US made the cut
London, Edinburgh, New York? Move over. Copenhagen is the place to be.
-
My piece of heaven: The Vale of Belvoir by Lady Violet Manners
Lady Violet Manners, who grew up in Belvoir Castle, shares her love of the area around her ancestral home.
-
Hen harriers: The 'marvels of evolutionary adaptation' that are 'ballet and theatre and poetry inscribed on air'
The hen harrier is one of the most glorious birds of prey in Britain — yet it provokes fierce debate. Mark Cocker unpicks why this breed is among the most controversial of all British birds.
-
300 laps, thousands of tires, 24 hours of non-stop racing: Up close and personal at Le Mans 2025
At this year's iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans, British car manufacturer Aston Martin returned to the race's top category — and they invited writer Charlie Thomas along for the ride.
-
Clare Balding and Andrew Balding's day-by-day guide to Royal Ascot 2025
Country Life caught up with Clare Balding and Andrew Balding to get their expert view as Royal Ascot 2025 gets under way.
-
'We started thinking: if we were going to design a bike for Aston Martin, what would it look like? And then we simply couldn’t stop': Aston's new bike has everything you could ever dream of — except a price tag
The new Aston Martin .1R bicycle, a collaboration with manufacturer J.Laverack, leaves Paul Henderson stirred rather than shaken.
-
The legacy of Dad's Army
Kate Green takes a look at Dad’s Army, the iconic BBC sitcom written by David Croft and Jimmy Perry.
-
Game, set, match: Jack Draper, Lorenzo Musetti and Holger Rune to light up London's Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic
The British number one leads the list of three top-10 players that will take to the courts at the 150-year-old Hurlingham Club in London from June 24–28.
-
‘It's a bit like a pub, but without the requirement of being drunk’: Why we’re all hot for a countryside sauna
The sauna is the latest wellness trend — especially one immersed in Nature. Lotte Brundle dips into why the pastime has been heating up.
-
From 'Gerroff my land' to 'Get on my land': Farmers are keen to set the record straight with Open Farm Sunday 2025
The event — which sees farmers throw open their gates to visitors — returns for its 19th year on Sunday, June 8 with hundreds of farms across Britain will be taking part.
-
The capital's largest free flower festival blooms again in Chelsea
Chelsea In Bloom is back for its 20th year and this time round the theme is Flowers In Fashion.
-
Alan Titchmarsh and Richard Osman will headline this year’s Queen’s Reading Room Festival at Chatsworth
Dame Jilly Cooper, the author of the Rutshire Chronicles, and Helen Fielding, who penned the Bridget Jones books, will also be attending the two day event hosted by The Queen’s charity at the Grade I listed house and gardens.
-
Chelsea Flower Show 2025: Where to eat, where to drink and where to shop
There's more to Chelsea than just the Flower Show so we've rounded up some of the best places to eat, stay and shop.
