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A walk in the footsteps of Evelyn Waugh at Madresfield Court, the real-life inspiration for Brideshead RevisitedFiona Reynolds takes a walk around the home that captured Evelyn Waugh’s imagination, finding a place that is both intriguing and atmospheric.
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The best open air theatres in BritainAmid the sweet chestnuts, walnuts and cobnuts of a Suffolk farm, a natural amphitheatre has been transformed into a glorious sylvan venue for touring companies to tread Nature’s boards. Jo Cairdv pays a visit to the mesmerising Thorington Theatre, and picks out three more of the finest outdoor performance venues in Britain.
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Thorington Theatre: How a WW2 bomb crater in Suffolk became one of Britain's most beautiful theatres
Amid the sweet chestnuts, walnuts and cobnuts of a Suffolk farm, a natural amphitheatre has been transformed into a glorious sylvan venue for touring companies to tread Nature’s boards, finds Jo Caird.
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William Shakespeare: The original Nature boyWilliam Shakespeare wasn’t only the greatest playwright of our history, he was an avid ornithophile, a green man and a master of transposing the true power of Nature onto the page, says John Lewis-Stempel.
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How a British team of mountaineers conquered Everest, the 'goddess of the sky'Seventy years ago, on the eve of the Queen’s coronation, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of Everest. Octavia Pollock considers the legacy of their achievement and what it meant for British mountaineering.
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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 hamperHenrietta 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 areasFrom 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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'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 ZarkanderHere 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 GloucestershireMay 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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Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland: The spectacular border town with a castle that changed hands 13 timesBerwick-upon-Tweed spent centuries as a pawn in Anglo-Scottish conflict; today, it's a charming border town with spectacular sights. Clive Aslet takes a look.
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Ewelme, Oxfordshire: The medieval almshouses set up by Chaucer's grand-daughter and still running todayCountry 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 worldThe 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 systemOpen 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 buriedMelrose Abbey is one of the most powerfully romantic and evocative ruins in Britain — and for that matter, the world.
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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 murdersCanterbury 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 woodsThe ancient hunting grounds of William the Conqueror are famed across the world as the hiding place of the legendary outlaw Robin Hood.
