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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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'I didn't realise quite what we were getting into': how to make cheese in Norfolk and what it says about usPatrick Galbraith visits a cheesemaker in Norfolk and leaves wondering what 'a hard day's work' really means.
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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.
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Behind the scenes at Blenheim Palace, from the £40m leaky roof to towing visitors stuck in muddy fieldsEmily Spencer of Blenheim Palace joins the Country Life Podcast to give a glimpse in to what it takes to keep a UNESCO World Heritage site up and running with 6,000 visitors a day coming through the hallowed halls.
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Curious Questions: Who wrote the Happy Birthday song?There are few things less pleasurable than a tuneless public rendition of Happy Birthday To You, says Rob Crossan, a century after the little ditty came into being
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Why do we get so many April showers?It's the time of year when a torrential downpour can come and go in minutes — or drench one side of the street while leaving the other side dry. It's all to the good for growing, says Lia Leendertz as she takes a look at the weather of April.
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Help for our four-legged heroes: the charity that looks after retired service animalsIn 2016, the Countess of Bathurst set up the National Foundation for Retired Service Animals, which continues to look after blue-light families and their animals.
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John Lewis-Stempel: Never look after other people's animalsOur countryside columnist does a friend a favour, and ends up having to free a half-ton heifer from a muddy trench.
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A walk across the Cheshire Plain, the 200-million-year-old landscape where yesterday’s old industrial sites are today’s nature reservesFiona Reynolds heads out for a walk on the Cheshire Plain, where industry and farming are juxtaposed to startling effect.
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St Patrick’s Chapel ruins, Heysham: The mythical Lancashire ruins with a heavenly viewAnnunciata Elwes takes a look at St Patrick’s Chapel ruins, a Morecambe Bay landmark.
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Curious Questions: Why was a lifeboat hauled 13 miles overland in the midst of one of the worst storms of the 19th century?Martin Fone on the brave men of the RNLI, and the tales of Louisa and Forrest Hall.
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The 10 most romantic declarations of love in film and literatureKate Green takes a look at the ten most romantic movie moments and literary declarations of love.
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Why does BBC Radio 4 broadcast 'the pips' at the top of the hour?The Greenwich Time Signal has been an ubiquitous part of BBC Radio for a century, but few know what it really is and where it came from
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How to tie the only knots you'll ever needThe 'Surrey Six' is a collection of ways to tie rope that, for most people, are the only six knots you'll ever need. Agnes Stamp tries her hand at tying them, and looks in to the lore of knot tying.
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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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The real Ebeneezer Scrooge who inspired Charles Dickens was actually 'noted for his generosity, jovial disposition and appetite'Ian Morton explores the runaway success of the Dickens Christmas classic and reveals the 'real' Ebenezer Scrooge, who was far from a mean man.
