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Curious questions: How a horse on a treadmill almost defeated a steam locomotiveThe wonderful tale of Thomas Brandreth's Cycloped and the first steam-powered railway.
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Don't fancy Dry January? Try our list of London's best bars insteadWith lots of people off the sauce, why not head to our list of London's best bars and enjoy them while they're quiet.
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Highlights, delights and lowlights: The best (and worst) shows of 2024Plus, what the famed theatre critic recommends going to see in January.
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Driving Land Rovers blindfolded, cricket in the corridors and sword-fights in suits of armour: The unusual games of the country houseBig houses and grand spaces leave lots of potential for some strange games. Melanie Cable-Alexander investigates.
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14 of the greatest movie posters in cinemaThe right poster can evoke a film without words, stir nostalgia and entice viewers into cinemas.
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11 things to look out for on a Nature walk in winterWinter is a season that few could genuinely love, yet as the leaves and flowers abandon us, the structure of the countryside is starkly revealed. John Wright takes the time to revel in form over flamboyance.
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The Christmas Carol songbook that changed the sound of ChristmasKate Green takes a look at the musical legacy of Sir David Willcocks through his book Carols for Choirs.
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Skate at Somerset House is the friendliest thing you'll ever do in LondonRelying on the kindness of strangers is alive, well, and found in Skate at Somerset House on the Strand.
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Seven true ghost stories from a century of Country LifeOver the course of Country Life's 125-year history, dozens of readers have shared their tales of ghosts. Here we've picked out seven of the most fascinating.
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Curious Questions: Which person has spent the most time on TV?Is it Elvis? Is it Queen Elizabeth II? Is it Gary Lineker? No, it's an eight-year-old girl called Carole and a terrifying clown. Here is the history of the BBC's Test Card F.
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'Without fever there is no creation': the tumultuous talent of Giacomo PucciniThree of the top 10 operas performed worldwide are by the emotionally volatile Italian composer Giacomo Puccini, who died a century ago. Henrietta Bredin explains how his colourful life influenced his melodramatic plot lines.
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Burghley Horse Trials preview: From Paris, with loveBritish equestrian sport is riding high post-Olympics and next month’s Defender Burghley Horse Trials, which has attracted an illustrious entry, should show it in its best light.
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The ship that was in two different centuries, two different years, two different months, two different days and two different seasons, all at the same timeOn December 31, 1899, the SS Warrimoo may have travelled through time — but did it really happen?
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How to stop your dog from being protective and barking at buildersBarking can be annoying and unsettling for visitors. Ben Randall looks at how to get a little peace and quiet.
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Tiny sanctuaries: The best huts in BritainA shed is merely somewhere to keep tools. A hut, on the other hand, is a doorway to sporting adventure. Robin Ashcroft selects five of his favourites in the UK.
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Reaching Olympian heights: 10 moments which define the original spirit of The OlympicsAs the Olympic games begins this weekend, Country Life looks back to moments that were inspired by the ideals of Faster, Higher, Stronger and Together.
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Henry Wood: The man who made The PromsAs the 2024 Prroms get under way, we take a look at the man who began this great British summer institution: Henry Wood.
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The seven greatest winners in the history of the Badminton Horse TrialsThe Badminton Horse Trials, the oldest competition of its kind in the world, celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2024. Kate Green chooses seven heroic winners in its history.
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Everything you could ever want to know about Badminton, 'the most important and most typically English' eventing competition in the worldIn the latest edition of The Legacy, we look at the 10th Duke of Beaufort who, so disgusted at Britain's eventing performance at the 1948 Olympics, decided to set up his own competition at his home at Badminton.
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How the Stevenson lighthouses saved the sailors of ScotlandThe Stevenson family saved countless thousands of lives off the coast of Scotland with their network of hundreds of lighthouses — and their designs made life safer for sailors around the globe.
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14 things to book today to make the most of the 2024 Summer SeasonMusic, sport, gardens and more — here are some of the best events to attend this summer.
