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Alexandra Palace: How it's survived fires, bankruptcy and even gang warfare in 150 years as London's 'palace of the people'
Alexandra Palace has suffered every imaginable disaster, yet remains enduringly popular even a century and a half after its official grand opening. Martin Fone takes a look at the history of one of Britain's great public buildings.
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The 2023 summer outdoor opera season: Where to go, who to watch, and what to put in your picnic hamper
Henrietta Bredin, deputy editor of Opera magazine, shares her tips on how to make the most of the outdoor opera season in Britain this summer.
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How the sheep of the Cotswolds outlasted the Roman Empire and the Black Death to help build one of Britain's most beautiful areas
From warm cloaks for the Roman army to many handsome churches, much of England’s might and wealth once rested on the back of the Cotswold sheep’s ‘golden fleece’, says Charles Harris.
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J.R.R. Tolkien: The life and times of the lord of the books
From a sentence born of an exhausting teaching job, J. R. R. Tolkien crafted a series of fantastical novels that, 50 years on from his death, still loom as large in our imagination as Sauron’s all-seeing eye, says Matthew Dennison.
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'The last red squirrel in Dumfries — if it comes to that — is most likely to be predated by a pine marten'
The pine marten is proving a mixed blessing in the task of restoring wildlife for Jamie Blackett.
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The A to Z of the Cheltenham Festival, from Arkle to Zarkander
Here is all you need to know about the 2023 Cheltenham National Hunt Festival, one of the greatest sporting occasions on the calendar.
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Curious Questions: What was the first ever vinyl LP?
Music-lovers who replaced their records with CDs three decades ago can still barely believe vinyl's unlikely resurgence — but the fresh interest in this old medium is still going as the first ever vinyl LP turns 75. Martin Fone charts the history of vinyl long-play records.
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May Hill: A walk across the summit of Gloucestershire
May Hill, with its spectacular views lit by winter sun, has a promise of the spring to come, as in Edward Thomas’s account of an epic walk. Fiona Reynolds follows in his footsteps.
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Ewelme, Oxfordshire: The medieval almshouses set up by Chaucer's grand-daughter and still running today
Country Life's 21st century Grand Tour of Britain stops off at the remarkable church and almshouses at Ewelme, Oxfordshire.
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The Flying Scotsman: How the first 100mph locomotive became the most famous train in the world
The first train to officially hit 100mph may not even have been the first, and didn't hold the rail speed record for long; yet a century later its legend is undimmed. Jack Watkins celebrates the Flying Scotsman.
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Laxton, Nottinghamshire: The 21st century village still using a medieval farming system
Open field strip farming has almost entirely disappeared from Britain in the past 1,000 years — though there is one great exception: Laxton.
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Melrose Abbey, the Scottish Borders: The spectacular ruin where Robert the Bruce's heart is buried
Melrose Abbey is one of the most powerfully romantic and evocative ruins in Britain — and for that matter, the world.
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Winchester College: The school that's survived six centuries of turmoil, including the sacking of the city around it
Winchester College is both a school for the lucky few and an architectural marvel, says Clive Aslet.
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Caernarfon Castle, Gwynedd: 'One of the great buildings of the Middle Ages'
Wales is spoilt for beautiful, evocative and dramatic castles in magnificent locations — yet still Caernarfon Castle stands above the rest.
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Durham Cathedral and Castle: 'The Normans at their most audacious and expansive'
The view of Durham from the train is epic and defiant: the great central tower of the cathedral rising as if it were its own unconquerable cliff, a symbol of Christian civilisation that has endured centuries of hostile waves to stand triumphant.
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Canterbury Cathedral: Architectural wonder, place of worship, and site of one of history's most infamous murders
Canterbury Cathedral is the seat of the Church of England, the end of the nation's most famous pilgrimage route, and a place where 1400 years of history can be seen.
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Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire: The story of Robin Hood's woods
The ancient hunting grounds of William the Conqueror are famed across the world as the hiding place of the legendary outlaw Robin Hood.
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The Island of Ely, Cambridgeshire: Where 85ft above sea level is almost a mountain
Clive Aslet takes a look at Ely, the beautiful and ancient city that can be seen from miles around in the Fens.
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Battle, East Sussex: The site of the battle 'that permanently changed the course of history in England and beyond'
The Battle of Hastings didn't actually take place in Hastings, but a few miles north — and you can still visit the site of perhaps the most consequential battle ever to take place on English soil.
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Glastonbury, Somerset: The place where the Holy Grail came to Britain
The ancient town of Glastonbury is synonymous without spirituality, mysticism and legend — and it's an unmissable stop-off on our list of places in the 21st century Grand Tour of Britain.
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Lindisfarne, Northumberland: The Holy Island with a castle, priory and 1,500 years of history
Lindisfarne, or Holy Island, has 1,500 years of recorded history and remains as popular as ever with pilgrims of all kinds. Clive Aslet takes a look at its history, and tells the tale of how Country Life's founder bought and transformed this ancient spot.
