Features
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Forget catnip, it's all about catmint
Nepeta, the highly aromatic and pretty perennial beloved of so many country gardens, may be your feline’s favourite fix, but we should be wary of its root, warns Deborah Nicholls-Lee
By Deborah Nicholls-Lee Published
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'Victorian magnificence skilfully simplified and distilled': A peek at the restoration of Somerleyton Hall gardens
Recent works have retained the former theatrical splendours of these gardens near Lowestoft, Suffolk, finds Tilly Ware.
By Tilly Ware Published
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Penicuik Estate review: An exclusive use house and cottages for collectors and connoisseurs
The Penicuik Estate in Midlothian, Scotland is an ever-growing hospitality empire with a fascinating history.
By Steven King Published
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All hail fish and chips: Our guide to the nation’s favourite dish, done right
Our writers share their top picks of where to go for the best of the best, this National Fish & Chip Day.
By Country Life Published
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Lawns, glorious lawns at this Grade II-listed home in Hampshire where a sustainable future meets a storied past
There are 'old rectorys', and then there's The Old Rectory.
By James Fisher Published
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‘It's a bit like a pub, but without the requirement of being drunk’: Why we’re all hot for a countryside sauna
The sauna is the latest wellness trend — especially one immersed in Nature. Lotte Brundle dips into why the pastime has been heating up.
By Lotte Brundle Last updated
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Simon Armitage: 'I've tried getting AI to write poems — and they've all been reassuringly awful'
The poet laureate Simon Armitage joins the Country Life Podcast.
By Toby Keel Last updated
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Father's Day gifts: What to buy that extra-special dad
Sunday June 15, 2025 is Father's Day: the occasion to honour the father figure who taught you how to cast a fly, decant a bottle of red, carve a joint of beef, or reverse park a Land Rover with one hand.
By Hetty Lintell Last updated
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The world’s most iconic handbag could be on your arm
40 years after its conception, the original Hermès ‘Birkin’ bag, owned by the OG It Girl Jane Birkin, is going up for auction with Sotheby’s on July 10.
By Lotte Brundle Published
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Gill Meller's strawberry, lemon and elderflower meringue
Gill Meller's strawberry and elderflower meringue is basically summer on a plate.
By Gill Meller Published
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'A monument to Edwardian excess' that was built by the millionaire industrialist who founded Pinewood Studios
Bents House is a classic Peak District mansion which shows that good taste and deep pockets can coexist very happily.
By James Fisher Published
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Alan Titchmarsh: I've tried every slug control known to man, and these are the only things that have ever worked for me
Alan Titchmarsh is as charming, warming and friendly a man as anyone you'll ever meet. Unless, of course, you're a slug... in which case you'll awaken his ruthless side.
By Alan Titchmarsh Published
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Goshawks: The birds of prey that came back from extinction
By the late 19th century, the goshawk was indisputably extinct, but their recent restoration to the British isles makes it worth exploring their history. Expert naturalist Mark Cocker tells more about this fascinating bird of prey.
By Mark Cocker Published
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Quirky ceramics, Carey Mulligan and Greece: Lucy Williams's consuming passions
The content creator, and brand ambassador and consultant reveals why she loves stories about 'normal' people and the podcast she listens to on repeat.
By Rosie Paterson Published
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Munder-Skiles and the art of exterior decoration
Sponsored by Munder-Skiles
The success of this project — which was awarded four stars by judges at the Chelsea Flower Show — demonstrates Isabella Worsley’s versatility as a designer.
By Country Life Published
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One of the most spectacular rose gardens in England has come in to bloom two weeks early
It's time to head to Mottisfont — come for the roses, stay for the fascinating exhibition shedding new light on the history of this beautiful Hampshire house.
By Annunciata Elwes Published
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'The biggest cavities are in the hearts and skulls of politicians': What hope for the swift?
Ahead of World Swift Day and Swift Awareness Week, Octavia Pollock ponders the decision not to mandate the use of swift bricks
By Octavia Pollock Published