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‘It has been destroyed beyond repair, not by the effect of gunfire, but by a deliberate act of vandalism’: Britain’s long lost great houses that live on only inside the Country Life archive
In the wake of the First and Second World Wars, some of Britain’s greatest houses were lost forever — to extinct familial lines, financial woes, neglect, vandalism and tragic accidents. Thankfully, plenty are preserved — in photographic form at least — for eternity, inside the Country Life archive.
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Henry Holland's consuming passions: 'I started my career as the fashion editor of Smash Hits magazine and I am still a pop tart at heart!'
Henry Holland, fashion designer and ceramicist, reveals who he'd like to play him in a film and why he's impressed with model Karlie Kloss.
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The 'Rose Labyrinth' of Coughton Court, where 200 varieties come together in this world-renowned garden in Warwickshire
Val Bourne finds the award winning-roses flourishing at Coughton Court in Warwickshire, where the historic garden is now in the hands of the latest in many generations of the same family. Photography by Clive Nichols.
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Listen up puffins, peregrines and seal pups — Big Brother is watching you
The Wildlife Trusts have installed more than 25 video cameras around the country that live stream activity from barn owl nests to popular puffin sites.
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'Comfortable, cosseting and far from the madding crowd': The recently refurbished Cornish cottage that proves Victorian decor is making a comeback
Plum Cottage in Padstow, Cornwall, has been brought to life by Jess Alken and her husband, Ash — and is the latest addition to their holiday cottages on the north Cornish coast.
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How to make The Connaught Bar's legendary martini — and a few others
It's the weekend which means it's time to kick back and make yourself an ice cold martini — courtesy of The Connaught Bar.
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The pristine and unspoilt English county that 'has all the ingredients of perfection'
Many people simply pass straight through Northumberland heading for Scotland. Big mistake, says Matt Ridley.
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Coco's crush: Chanel's century-long love affair with Britain and its men
For the past 100 years, Chanel — the person and the brand — has left an indelible mark on the UK and its cultural institutions. Amie Elizabeth White takes a look at how the relationship came to be.
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‘There are moments of formal dressing where one is humbled by the rules of it all’: A New Yorker tackles Royal Ascot for the first time
A day at the races filled with Royal processions, fantastical picnics and top hats might not sound particularly odd to us, but to visitors from America it’s a spectacle that has to be seen to be believed. One New Yorker recounts what he saw — and what he thought about it all.
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The golden eagle: One of the Great British public's favourite birds of prey — but devilishly tricky to identify
We are often so keen to encounter this animal that ambition overrides the accuracy of our observations, writes Mark Cocker.
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Best country houses for sale this week
A magical home by the sea and a picture-perfect Cotswolds retreat make our look at the finest homes for sale in Britain today.
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Gill Meller's tomato, egg, bread and herb big-hearted summer salad
This summer salad is for people who enjoy proper seasonal produce.
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From turtles to pink sea fans: Why Mediterranean marine life is drifting into British waters
Both leatherback sea turtles and the soft corrals’ presence near our shores coincides with our warming seas, Lotte Brundle writes.
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826 years of history, painstaking restoration and 'a garden like no other' at this former National Trust house which has come to the market in Kent
A blooming property in Kent showcases the original garden of England. Penny Churchill takes a look.
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The extraordinary Exe Estuary, by the Earl whose family have lived here for 700 years
Charles Courtenay, the 19th Earl of Devon, shares his own personal piece of heaven: the Exe Estuary in Devon.
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‘So old-fashioned, it’s new-fashioned’: Riding the rails on the Belmond Royal Scotsman
What goes around, comes around, says Steven King of a trip through Scotland to celebrate 40 years of the Royal Scotsman, A Belmond Train.
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Critics be damned, Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral gets Grade I status on advice from Historic England
Looking a bit like a large piece of moon-landing equipment on which you’d best not sit, with indoor lighting that wouldn’t look out of place in a nightclub, the building has ever divided opinions.
