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The real rock stars: Meet the makers of the Olympic curling stonesOne of the most remarkable players in the Winter Olympics, Kays Scotland’s curling stones are both objets d’art and serious bits of sporting kit
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Amanda Seyfried's new film answers the question: Where did the viral Instagram Shaker kitchen come from — and how is it linked to Quakerism?'The Testament of Ann Lee' follows the founder of Shakerism. But how did a devotional sect come to influence a major kitchen interior design trend?
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The hype over Wuthering Heights has reached fever pitch. A new podcast from the team behind The Rest Is History is cutting through the noiseHistorian Dominic Sandbrook is teaming up with his longtime producer, Tabitha Syrett, on their new programme The Book Club. They tell Country Life about their own favourite books and what everyone gets wrong about Brontë's novel.
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Athena: Stoke-on-Trent is a bellwether for our cultural and industrial legacyA new report highlights the opportunities available in this once proud pottery city, but is there the financial and democratic will to do anything about it?
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These are a few of James Haskell's favourite thingsThe former rugby forward talks to Hetty Lintell. Illustrations by by Ollie Maxwell.
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'Short beards can be extremely becoming on a man (see: The Prince of Wales), but they can carry more bacteria than a dog’s fur': A snob's guide to facial hairOur weekly columnist, Sophia Money-Coutts, dives head-first into the hairy world of men's beards, moustaches and more.
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'He allowed lion and a tiger to prowl around the castle and, if an unfortunate servant was mauled, they were paid compensation': Exotic animals in artExotic animals — whether dreamy-eyed rhinos, improbable flocks of birds from different latitudes or muscular big cats rendered in exact detail — captured the eye of artists in Europe, but also in their native countries.
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'He was really the most radical artist of the 19th century': Georges Seurat at the Courtauld GalleryGeorges Seurat spent much of his short life painting the quietude of the Northern French coast, honing his rigorous technique on the play of light, sky and water.
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‘I’m like: “Give me those tights, let me show you”: Ballet superstar Carlos Acosta’s consuming passionsBorn one of 11 children in a Cuban slum, it’s been 36 years since Carlos Acosta’s career as an internationally famous dancer formally began. Lotte Brundle meets him at the Birmingham Royal Ballet, where he is the director.
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‘Please, for heaven’s sake, not a pear-shaped diamond with a gold band’: Proposal etiquette for the modern manValentine's Day unsurprisingly ranks as one of the top dates each year for proposals. But how to make sure you are doing it right?
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What have the Romans ever done for us? For one thing, taught us the art of seductionMore Britons are single, unmarried or living alone now than at any other point in history. Our predecessors might offer ways out of the rut — and into each other's arms.
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The W1 set is up in arms about Liz Truss's roof terrace. But what is a members' club without one?The former Prime Minister is launching a new club in Mayfair's Leconfield House, angering local residents who've complained prematurely of the ruckus this is certain to cause.
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It has been hard to keep track of the cascade of good news about the Arts, so we've done it for you2026 is shaping up to be a bumper year.
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This Civil War coat and armour has survived four centuries in almost perfect condition — apart from the hole made by the musket ball that killed the man who wore itJohn Goodall visits Doddington Hall in Lincolnshire to discover the tale of one of its most extraordinary artefacts: the coat worn by a 17th century nobleman when he was killed during one of the key battles of the English Civil War.
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The British Museum's successful attempt to save a Tudor-era pendant with links to Henry VIII is proof that the institution is on the upAfter years of neglect and controversy, Britain's premier cultural institution seems to be finding its feet again.
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£1.5 billion might be spent on Arts buildings, but who will be left to run them?Spending money on bricks and mortar is one thing, but we must also reward the staff and experts that keep our culture alive.
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What is everyone talking about this week: As Valentine's Day beckons, love letters are making a comebackYoung lovers are foregoing expensive gifts and turning instead to quill and paper. Is it a result of the cost-of-living crisis — or something else?
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Cybele and Juno statues finally return to Stowe's south-front porticoThe statues were originally lost after a content sale, but have been dutifully re-created as part of an ongoing restoration programme.
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Jenson Button: 'Get rid of your ego'The former F1 World Champion speaks to Country Life about retirement, his career, and what the future holds.
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'We made the mistake of accepting the word of a surveyor. Off we went on a voyage of restoration lasting 30 years': Griff Rhys-Jones on his first house in the countryThe comedian, actor and conservation campaigner Griff Rhys-Jones has called rural Suffolk home for over 40 years.
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'Attractive people doing attractive things in attractive places': Slim Aarons's photographs of Cortina d’Ampezzo resurface ahead of the Winter OlympicsThe Winter Olympics are nearly upon us. To celebrate we're taking a look back at legendary photographer Slim Aarons's photographs of Cortina d'Ampezzo which is hosting the Games for the second time.
