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Why build a new country house? There's a long list of things you'll gain if you can live without that lovely patina of ageTo celebrate the publication of a book on houses he has designed, George Saumarez Smith reflects on why some people choose new rather than historic homes. Photographs by Peter Dixon.
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'Flowers were used to communicate sentiments too intimate or improper to say out loud': The forgotten Victorian tradition of floriographyCece Jewellery has created a new jewellery collection inspired by a popular Victorian tradition of giving flowers to convey a certain message.
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This ruinous stately home inspired one of Britain's greatest satirical paintingsMelanie Bryan delves into the Country Life Archive to uncover the story of Sutton Scarsdale Hall.
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Sheep are getting bad press. Is any of it fair?Some blame the beasts for desiccating already arid land, while others want to ban wool. When, and how, did sheep become such scapegoats?
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Does the world’s most famous route still capture the romance of the open road?On the eve of its centenary, Charlie Thomas braves 1,300 miles of Route 66 to find out.
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It ain't nothing but a song about a hound dog: Musical muses of the canine worldSometimes, inspiration can be found in the form of a gentle nudge from a cold wet nose, reveals Harry Pearson.
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Six outstanding homes, from an Elizabethan farmhouse to a miniature castle in Sussex, as seen in Country LifeOur round-up of homes to come to the market via Country Life this week includes the work of some of Britain's finest architects.
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Are you brave enough to take on Cornwall's 40-foot answer to Hawaii's big waves?Cribbar attracts some of the best surfers in the UK. Ahead of the big wave season, Andy Martin went to meet them. Photographs by Adrian Bagley.
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Agatha Christie bought and sold homes like she was playing real-life Monopoly — and one of her favourites has come up for saleIn an Art Deco block in the heart of Chelsea, Agatha Christie kept a pied-à-terre for three decades where she wrote several of her most famous works. Today, it's up for sale.
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The search for the perfect carrot led me to one of Wiltshire’s loveliest new hotelsPamela Goodman checks in to Teffont House Hotel.
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Pioneering chef Raymond Blanc on never saying no and eating caviar for puddingLotte Brundle meets the French chef and restaurateur.
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This former soup kitchen, on the crossroads of ancient civilisations, is now an Ottoman masterpiece you can stay inImaret, in Greece, was built to foster tolerance. Teresa Levonian Cole investigates its landmark renovation.
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'More is more has always been my mantra': The visionary who made the Eden Project from an abandoned clay pit in CornwallTwenty-five years ago, Sir Tim Smit created a series of futuristic plant-filled biomes: the Eden Project. James Alexander-Sinclair says we should expect even more brilliant surprises in the coming quarter century. Photographs by Clive Nichols.
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'We did that London thing of going "wow, look at how much house we can get for our money"': India Knight on her first house in the countryThe writer India Knight swapped city life for rural Suffolk a decade ago — and has never looked back.
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It's time to face the music in the Country Life Quiz of the Day, October 2, 2026From 'Waterloo' to 'Wonderwall' and The Cure to The Clash, today's quiz will test your knowledge of bands. Will you strike the right chord or fall flat?
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I’ve journeyed to Cleopatra's lost emerald mines in search of the gemstone that's 100 times rarer than diamondsRarer than diamonds and more valuable than any other coloured jewels, a fine emerald represents natural beauty at its most beguiling, says Jonathan Self.
