Features
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Is December the best month for bird watching? Exploring the underrated avian delights of a British winter
As starlings, woodcock and all manner of birds on the wing make their way south, Britain becomes something of a bird-watching heaven.
By Country Life Published
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Country Life's luxury editor's Christmas gift ideas for pets and animal lovers
Looking for a present for a four-legged friend? Or someone somewhat obsessed with theirs? We have you covered.
By Amie Elizabeth White Last updated
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You can't sit with us unless you do the Country Life Quiz of the Day, December 8, 2025
Do you remember this film? It's in today's quiz.
By Country Life Published
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When Chelsea was grazing and pasture, not gazing and posture, this house was a Georgian dairy. Now it's a townhouse on SW3's swishest street
Will Hosie takes a look at The Old Dairy, a beautiful old home in SW3 that's seen the entire area grow up around it.
By Will Hosie Published
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Rough collies: The dogs made famous by Lassie that are hardy, clever, agile, and 'good for the soul'
With the initiative to rescue sheep and the daring to question its master, the rough collie not only lives up to its heroic reputation, but is always right, discovers Katy Birchall.
By Katy Birchall Last updated
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Four festive recipes from the Country Life Archive that have (thankfully) fallen out of favour
Every Monday, Melanie Bryan delves into the hidden depths of Country Life's extraordinary archive to bring you a long-forgotten story, photograph or advert.
By Melanie Bryan Published
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What is everyone talking about this week: (Whisper it) is smoking back?
You’d be forgiven for thinking that young people are a bunch of mopes, who refuse to drink, go dancing or have sex and are ruining British nightlife for all — but you're wrong, says Will Hosie.
By Will Hosie Published
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McLaren Special Operations — The secret Surrey skunkworks producing Britain's most bespoke supercars
There's owning a McLaren and then there's owning an MSO McLaren. James Fisher finds out what makes the bespoke division of Britain's premier supercar manufacturer so special.
By James Fisher Published
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The greatest flowers make the greatest art
A search for still-life subjects led Kate Friend to some of the greatest gardens and gardeners in the country
By Tiffany Daneff Published
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The Castle Howard Mausoleum, a building so beautiful 'you'd almost want to be alive when buried in it', is facing its own demise
The celebrated Castle Howard Mausoleum is a dynastic monument to the Howard family, but it needs further restoration if it is to survive. Christopher Ridgway tells its story; photography by Paul Higham.
By Christopher Ridgway Published
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Can you buy happiness? The latest list of Britain's happiest places, and what you could end up with if you moved there
Can you buy happiness? Of course not, but you can buy a nicer house in a better town... and, well, that's probably going to help quite a bit.
By Toby Keel Published
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Is the British Museum's attempt to save a Tudor-era pendant with links to Henry VIII proof that the institution is on the up?
After years of neglect and controversy, Britain's premier cultural institution seems to be finding its feet again.
By Athena Published
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Suit yourself: I’m a 49 year-old man-about-town and I’ve never owned a suit
When Hugh Smithson-Wright turned up to Country Life's annual Gentleman's Life party sans suit, it sparked a passionate conversation about why the formal fashion just isn't for everyone.
By Hugh Smithson-Wright Published
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'The ugliness and craziness is a part of its charm': The Country Life guide to Bangkok
Where to stay, where to eat and what to do in the Thai capital.
By Luke Abrahams Published
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There are a billion microbes in a teaspoon of soil. Leaving the leaves to Nature feeds and nourishes them
Leaf blowers aren't just futile and polluting — they're actively bad for the health of your garden, not to mention your mental wellbeing. Time to reach for the rake, says Isabel Bannerman.
By Isabel Bannerman Published
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Child stars, Prince and nursery rhymes: It's the Country Life Quiz of the Day, December 5, 2025
It's all in today's quiz.
By Country Life Published

