Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

Hide and squeak

Miniature Mouse Town has been captivating audiences for half a century, but the rodent realm has reached the end of the road, as Harry Pearson reports

Flour power

Ancient and heritage grains are enjoying a revival. Makers and growers tell Tom Howells why they are going back to the future

Property market

Penny Churchill surveys a West Country scene sparking into life with the launch onto the market of a spectacular coastal estate

Properties of the week

West is best, says Julie Harding, as she showcases characterful and comfortable cottages for sale

To boldly go on

James Alexander-Sinclair finds out what the future holds for the innovative Eden Project as the Cornwall garden turns 25

Chorus of approval

Henrietta Bredin hails opera’s unsung chorus lines in a look at life beyond the solo spotlight

Iain MacGregor’s favourite painting

The historian picks a work that reveals beauty in ordinary things

Country-house treasure

A tribute to ‘justice, honour and humanity’ catches John Goodall’s eye at Grey Abbey in Co Down

Ruling the waves

Admiralty House and the Ripley Building in London represent 400 years of our naval history, as Billy Hurley Reading discovers

The legacy

Kate Green celebrates the ever-popular 19th-century Savoy operas of that peerless creative double act Gilbert & Sullivan

Get ready for rush hour

Rush is not only a haven for all manner of wildlife, but also a precious resource for artisan makers, declares Laura Parker

Deep thinking

Next stop, Aldwych... Emma Hughes goes underground to tour the forgotten platforms of London’s lost Tube stations

Luxury

Amie Elizabeth White chooses classic check prints making an impression this autumn

Interiors

Arabella Youens warms to a fossil-stone fireplace in an Exmoor retreat and Amelia Thorpe shares some bright ideas on wall lights

Countryside mystery

The wonder of choke fungus takes John Wright’s breath away

Travel

Sophia Money-Coutts stays on the secluded Flete Estate, a favourite south Devon destination

Arts & antiques

Carla Passino visits a new British Museum exhibition exploring how Korea mastered foreign art forms and made them its own

On the hoof

Satyrs, centaurs and fauns have been strident symbols in art from Ancient Greece to the present day. Charles Harris investigates

And much more

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

Country-house treasure

John Goodall finds a moving monument to Katherine Parr, the last wife of Henry VIII, at Sudeley Castle, Gloucestershire

Are you local?

How many generations does it take for a dynasty to be bona fide rather than blow-in? Mary Skipwith visits five Cotswolds estates in search of the answer

Property market

Renovated Cotswold manor houses with light-filled interiors and contemporary layouts catch the eye of Penny Churchill

Properties of the week

Julie Harding scours all corners of the Cotswolds as she show-cases a selection of the latest honey-hued homes for sale

Paint your garden

Tiffany Daneff is charmed by the colourful, considered palette of an artist’s garden at Ham Court in Gloucestershire

Jeremy Finnis’s favourite painting

The GWCT chairman chooses a purple-tinged landscape that evokes the spirit of the Highlands

A golden fleece

An array of parish churches are an enduring legacy of the wealth generated by Cotswolds sheep farming, reveals John Goodall

The legacy

Julie Harding travels back in time with the poetic prose of Laurie Lee’s classic Cider with Rosie

The artist’s way

The redstart’s striking looks and talent for mimicry make it a favourite for Mark Cocker

Don’t follow the lights

John Lewis-Stempel tries to avoid that sinking feeling as he ponders the precarious future of Britain’s precious peat bogs

Luxury

Justine Picardie celebrates the enduring appeal of the Burberry trench and Amie Elizabeth White rests easy with sleep essentials

Interiors

Amelia Thorpe reveals how to cook up an elegant kitchen look

Countryside mystery

John Wright debunks the myth surrounding the water-retention miracle of manmade dew ponds

Travel

A revived Ottoman masterpiece is the perfect retreat on Teresa Levonian Cole’s Greek odyssey

In a league of their own

Claire Jackson peers into curious British collections dedicated to everything from dog collars to canals and cuddly toys to clocks

Strike a posy

The Victorians were the original experts at saying it with flowers. Ashleigh Arnott reads the signs

It’s a stitch up!

Julie Harding traces the tale of the needle, a darn good creation made with pin-point precision

Arts & antiques

Feats of clay will always catch the eye of Will Gompertz, as he explains to Carla Passino

The play’s the thing

Turgenev and Sir Alan Ayckbourn supply the on-stage standouts for Michael Billington this month

And much more

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

Choices, choices

With a seemingly endless array to select from, Country Life contributors reveal the tulips they will be planting for spring.

Catch a falling leaf

Charles Quest-Ritson is hoping for warm days and cool nights to fuel a spectacular display of countryside autumn colour

Who let the dogs out?

Music and Man’s best friend go hand in hand. Harry Pearson collars canines calling the tune

Well, hello Salar!

David Profumo heads for the West Country in the wake of his fishing hero Ted Hughes

Luxury

Jonathan Self is dazzled by Coco Chanel jewellery and Tiffany Daneff is talking trugs

George Saumarez Smith’s favourite painting

The architect chooses a bold graphic linocut of the feline form

Country-house treasure

John Goodall admires the revival of the Tapestry Drawing Room at Castle Howard, North Yorkshire

The legacy

Tiffany Daneff pays tribute to the family who cooked up the secret recipe for Pulhamite rock

Grandstand views

An inspirational outlook makes for a magnificent garden at Mount St John, North Yorkshire. Kendra Wilson surveys the scene

Hot pots

Amelia Thorpe picks standout planters to showcase top tulips

Forever flowers

Blooms of Hydrangea paniculata are a must for every garden, suggests Charles Quest-Ritson

Why build a new country house

George Saumarez Smith weighs up the allure of a new country house in place of an historic pile

A point of prospect

John Goodall finds a striking new memorial tower worth the climb at Doddington Place, Kent

Picture this

Independent rural cinemas will always offer the best big-screen experience for Madeleine Silver

Interiors

A feast of design ideas awaits visitors to key events such as Focus/26, reveals Amelia Thorpe

Back to the future

Harry Pearson meets the art conservators giving historic paintings a new lease of life

Shell we?

The secret to dressed-crab perfection is keeping it simple, as Tom Parker Bowles reveals

Lord of the flies

Fruit flies are more than a mere pest — Ian Morton reveals their critical role in medical research

New series: Countryside mysteries

Otherworldly cramp balls — or King Alfred’s cakes — fire the imagination of John Wright

Travel

Gabriella Le Breton unpacks the winter latest, from new Swiss ski lifts to the high life in Courchevel

Arts & antiques

Benvenuto Cellini’s golden Saliera is a 16th-century cellar worth its salt, as Carla Passino discovers

And much more

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

Majesty reborn

Edward Impey admires the ambitious attempt to revive early-12th-century interiors at Norwich Castle keep in Norfolk

What did the Normans ever do for us?

Jason Goodwin examines how the 1066 invasion by William the Conqueror changed the character of England forever

Walk on the wild side

Nicholas Crane re-creates the 1,000-mile, 12th-century journey undertaken by Gerald of Wales, Britain’s first great travel writer

Architecture as power

The monumental castles and churches the Normans left behind still express their strength in stone, reveals John Goodall

That sinking feeling

Quicksand is the stuff of many a nightmare. Harry Pearson tries not to get sucked in

Arts & antiques

Artists have long been inspired by the Battle of Hastings, as Carla Passino discovers

Michael Whitehall’s favourite painting

The podcast co-host chooses an arresting work expressing movement and fleeting beauty

Save our seeds

Seed Detective Adam Alexander issues an appeal to gardeners to revive the Victorian tradition of gathering life-giving pips

The legacy

The fossil-hunter Mary Anning helped put palaeontology front and centre, finds Kate Green

Country-house treasure

The golden Jean Tijou gates at Burghley House in Lincolnshire catch the eye of John Goodall

New series: Countryside mysteries

In the first of a series on rural riddles, John Wright cracks the old conundrum of strip lynchets

Yell for leather

Corinne Julius meets the animal-hide experts conserving historic objects from their Leicester HQ

You little cracker

The neglected Kentish cobnut is making an overdue come-back, suggests Susan Low

Luxury

The runway returns and Amie Elizabeth White’s earthy tones

Interiors

Amelia Thorpe picks out elegant fittings to elevate the bathroom

London Life

Will Hosie asks what makes a pub a pub and eyes properties with a pop of colour, plus our writers have all you need to know this month and Gio Fio marvels at the reinvention of the north bank of the Thames

Out on the prairie

American plants may be the answer to our warming climate, reports Charles Quest-Ritson

Travel

Pamela Goodman roots around in the Nadder Valley in Wiltshire

And much more.

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

Do your wurst

The loyal and dashing little dachshund is rapidly growing in popularity. Smitten owners tell Matthew Dennison of their fondness for the sausage dog

Once more into the breeches

Madeleine Silver assesses the distinctive school uniforms that add to the allure of our top educational establishments

Changing gears

Some service stations are miles ahead of the competition, as Will Hosie discovers when he hits the road in search of the best — and worst — in Britain

It was their day in the sun

Kate Green looks back over 65 years of Burghley Horse Trials in Lincolnshire to showcase equine winners of all shapes and sizes

The king and I

Titian earned a reputation as a money-chasing mercenary, but was he merely seeking what he was owed, asks Carla Passino

Tabish Khan’s favourite painting

The art critic and curator picks a work that has been a constant image in his life from childhood

Country-house treasure

John Goodall admires the 500-year-old French Gothic arch that welcomes visitors to Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire

A temple of Art

Steven Brindle visits the neo-Classical Lady Lever Art Gallery on Merseyside, home to one of the great British collections

The legacy

Kate Green still finds food for thought in Jocasta Innes’s The Pauper’s Cookbook from 1971

‘Your English summer’s done’

John Lewis-Stempel is breath-less as he contemplates the season’s last lingering days

Luxury

Amie Elizabeth White on bags and Burberry, plus a few of Scott Brash’s favourite things

Interiors

Show your home in its best light with Amelia Thorpe’s pick of stylish outdoor illumination

High-summer splendour

Charles Quest-Ritson marvels at the six spectacular acres at Cedar House in Warwickshire

Travel

It’s a done Deal for Richard MacKichan as he visits this born-again Kent coastal town

Arts & antiques

Painting is poetry in motion for Rory Hutton and Dan Llywelyn Hall, as they tell Carla Passino

And much more

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

The legacy
Kate Green hails Gavin Maxwell’s Ring of Bright Water, a remarkable tale of living with otters.

Fifty years young
The King’s Trust is celebrating half a century of supporting young people. Ambassadors explain the secrets of its success and longevity to Paula Minchin.

Country-house treasure
Intricate decorative ceilings at Thirlestane Castle, Berwickshire, catch the eye of John Goodall.

Alexander Campbell’s favourite painting
The Royal Academy of Dance artistic director is moved by a compelling nocturnal scene.

A tower house reborn
Mary Miers explores how the derelict tower house at Balgone in East Lothian has been transformed into a Classical seat.

Whisky galore
From illicitly distilled dram to tipple of choice around the globe, Henry Jeffreys raises a glass to the world’s most popular spirit.

Winging it
Mark Cocker adds the greylag goose to his Unloved Birds’ Club.

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss
James Fisher welcomes Joe Root back to the helm of English cricket.

Interiors
Arabella Youens admires a Blenheim estate house in Oxfordshire and Kuba is king for Amelia Thorpe.

Cool as a cucumber sandwich
This refreshing staple of English picnics is no sarnie-come-lately, reports Deborah Nicholls-Lee, as she reveals its Indian roots.

Arts & antiques
Allan Scott, the scriptwriter and executive producer, tells Carla Passino why he will never part with a prized perpetual calendar.

Luxury
New columnist Justine Picardie admires the Highland influence in the late Queen’s wardrobe and Amie Elizabeth White presents a bonnie Scottish selection.

Clash of the tartans
What does it take to toss the caber and putt the stone? Harry Pearson muscles in on the heavyweight Highland Games.

Heart Nouveau
Robyne Calvert reveals how the bold Glasgow Style of art and design conquered Europe.

Travel
Rosie Paterson experiences the ultimate in luxury camping when visiting a conservation success story in Tanzania.

Rhythm and views
Three decades of dramatic planting has paid off at Craichlaw House in Dumfries and Galloway, as Kirsty Fergusson discovers.

Summer of love
A double bill of innovative open-air Shakespearean comedy benefits from dream casting, suggests Michael Billington.

And much more

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

Bradley Hemmings’s favourite painting

The artistic director chooses a colourful work bursting with vitality and the spirit of summer.

Country-house treasure

A Dante Alighieri illuminated manuscript catches the eye of John Goodall at Rockingham Castle in Northamptonshire.

Keepers of the keys

Tessa Waugh celebrates our dedicated churchwardens, the unsung heroes of village life who keep parishes ticking over.

The legacy

Kate Green salutes Dr William Stukeley for saving Stonehenge from destruction in the 1700s.

When we walked in fields of gold

England’s acres of harvested, honey-hued cereal fields have long provided artistic inspiration, finds Deborah Nicholls-Lee.

A little object worth visiting

Romantic Dangan Cottage in Co Kilkenny has been restored to its late-18th-century glory, as John Goodall discovers.

Ghosts in the grass

A scorching summer is revealing country-house garden designs of yesteryear, as our pictures show.

Cuttings not cakes

The Secret Orchard Nursery in Derbyshire wins favour for its plants rather than pots of tea, to the delight of Arthur Parkinson.

Interiors

Arabella Youens admires the transformation of a South Downs Georgian gem, and everything’s gone green for Amelia Thorpe.

Travel

Rosie Paterson unpacks the latest travel trends, and Giles Kime stays at the Italian base of film director Francis Ford Coppola.

The French connection

Tom Parker Bowles is whisked to the summery South of France by freshly baked pissaladière, the delicious ‘Provençal pizza’.

What lies beneath

Tom Howells is in eclectic company at the World Worm Charming Championships in Cheshire.

Luxury

Jonathan Self reveals why the tiara is the epitome of glamour, and Amie Elizabeth White is drawn to the fans of Duvelleroy.

COUNTRY LIFE International

Julie Harding treads the Jersey Tidal Trail, savours scallops with chef Andrew Baird and celebrates the island’s 160 years of herd history, as Holly Kirkwood eyes top properties for sale and Claire Jackson hails a new era for opera.

Arts & antiques

Geoffrey Munn feels strangely drawn to the works of 18th-century art pariah Richard Dadd, as he explains to Carla Passino.

And much more

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

The legacy

Kate Green salutes Scotsman John Muir, national-parks pioneer

Floating on cloud nine

John Lewis-Stempel turns his eyes to the sky as he marvels at the myriad forms of cirrus, stratus, altocumulus and more

Winging it

The sparrowhawk is the silent assassin of the Unloved Birds’ Club. Mark Cocker investigates its effect on songbird numbers

A princely project

Garden restoration and creation have combined to glorious effect at the Palace of Bishop Auckland in Co Durham, finds Mary Keen

Wendy Holden’s favourite painting

The author chooses a work that changed the course of history

Country-house treasure

A curious cabinet of Catholic dolls catches the eye of John Goodall at Browsholme Hall, Lancashire

A life in architecture

Clive Aslet assesses the stellar career of Quinlan Terry, hailed The King’s favourite architect

It’s written on the wind

Larch disease — which is spread through water and air — is the latest threat to our woodlands, reports Matt Ramsden

A kiss from a rosé

English wine producers are in the pink as their blushing still and sparkling tipples fly off the shelves, reveals Emma Hughes

Dressing for success

With a sprinkle of salt here and a drizzle of olive oil there, Tom Parker Bowles works his magic on the most humble of salads

Luxury

Amie Elizabeth White smells the incense and rides a nauti-cal wave for summer style

Interiors

Arabella Youens applauds a pied-à-terre transformed and Amelia Thorpe eyes standout ceramics

London Life

Will Hosie turns green with envy, seeks the perfect pad and reels around the capital, plus our writers have all you need to know this month

‘It must have seemed like Disneyland to the Victorians’

Horsepower has been hauling the trams of the Isle of Man for 150 years. Octavia Pollock is invited to go behind the scenes

Travel

Pamela Goodman visits Schloss Dyck in Germany and unearths a Scotsman’s garden in bloom

Arts & antiques

‘Fowl, fish and beasts’ were staple subjects for sporting artist Francis Barlow, as Carla Passino learns

In a glass of its own

Corinne Julius admires the talented British artists heating up the world of studio glass

And much more

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

All the small things

We overlook the importance of insects at our peril, says Charles Harris, as he marvels at the fruit flies that share our genes and the moths that supply strands of silk

A room with a clue

Deborah Nicholls-Lee searches high and low for the concealed rooms and secret spaces that are an intriguing quirk of so many British country houses

Luxury

Facials, fragrance and bold and beautiful summer jewellery with Amie Elizabeth White, plus a few of the Duchess of Beaufort’s favourite things

Born to be wild

Charles Quest-Ritson visits East Lambrook Manor in Somerset and is heartened to find the home of Margery Fish’s ‘jungle gardening’ in good hands

Vicki Anstey’s favourite painting

The adventurer chooses a work showcasing human resilience

Country-house treasure

John Goodall surveys artworks by the Staithes Group — the first English Impressionists — at Brockfield Hall, North Yorkshire

Revival and renewal

In the second of two articles, John Goodall explores James Wyatt’s influence on the interiors at Curraghmore in Co Waterford

The legacy

Kate Green lauds Benjamin Britten’s lasting impact on Arts and culture in his beloved Suffolk

Winging it

Mark Cocker examines the folklore and infamy of the magpie

Where there’s a grill, there’s a way

John Lewis-Stempel reads the smoke signals as a barbecue fires up Neolithic nostalgia

Alders and betters

Alnus glutinosa is an ancient pioneer species with a key role to play on our riverbanks, as Vicky Liddell discovers

Interiors

Arabella Youens admires the colour and comfort added to a Jersey farmhouse and a splash of zest is best for Amelia Thorpe

Travel

Rosie Paterson enjoys an island paradise off France’s Côte d’Azur

Arts & antiques

Grégoire the grey toad brings a wealth of pleasure to Frederick Fischer, Lalique UK managing director, as he tells Carla Passino

A kind of magic

Multi-talented, multi-disciplinary artist Es Devlin shares the secret of her success with Corinne Julius

And much more

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

Meet Peggy, Britain’s naughtiest dog

Agnes Stamp meets the cereal-snaffling, bed-wrecking, turkey-wrangling miniature bull terrier who took the title—and rounds up the best (or worst) of the rest

The 39 steps to being a good dog owner

From clamping down on begging to sweetening bad breath, William Hanson presents his guide to modern pet-iquette

Ian Seath’s favourite painting

The Royal Kennel Club chairman chooses a work that celebrates canine collaboration with humans

Pup and coming

There have never been so many options for pampering your pooch. Mary Skipwith explores the rapidly evolving world of canine luxury

Country-house treasure

John Goodall marvels at the extensive 18th-century library at Powderham Castle in Devon

The legacy

Kate Green applauds Enid Blyton for dreaming up the spirited adventures of the Famous Five

A power in the landscape

In the first of two articles, John Goodall explores the early history of Curraghmore in Co Waterford, one of Ireland’s great houses

Bone appétit

Why settle for discarded street snacks when there is succulent chicken on the menu, asks Jack Russell Maud Parker Bowles

Interiors

Arabella Youens investigates interiors designed with pets in mind and Amelia Thorpe shares accessories for the (dog) house

Winging it

Why can’t we learn to love the wood pigeon, asks Mark Cocker

You got me there

David Profumo pursues tricky brown trout in a day on the Test

Everything bar the Oompa Loompas

Harry Pearson visits The Oldest Sweet Shop in England, which has traded in treats since 1827

Luxury

Fruity accessories offer rich pickings for Amie Elizabeth White

Colour for all seasons

Kathryn Bradley-Hole admires the spectacular successional planting in the new gardens of The Copper House in Kent

Travel

Steven King savours the spirit of the Hebrides and the natural beauty of the Isle of Harris during a stay at historic Rodel House

Arts & antiques

The rise of service à la russe in the 19th century turned the tables in upper-class British dining, discovers Carla Passino

To say nothing of the dog

Michael Prodger examines the history of canines on canvas and reveals how artists have warmed to Man’s best friend

And much more.

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

Why our water is going down the drain

Investment, organisation and effort can guarantee secure water supplies for everyone in Britain, argues Lord Deben

The power of water

Kate Green surveys the surging strength of the Severn Bore, the haunting beauty of the flooded Somerset Levels, life on the edge at Dawlish and the capital’s mighty Thames Barrier.

Why every drop counts

People who work with water tell Kate Green and Mary Skipwith why we need to reconnect with our most precious resource

Up with the gulls, to bed with the owl

Patrick Galbraith experiences an eventful day in the life of the ever-changing, but enduringly beautiful Cley estuary in Norfolk

On peak form

Artists such as Turner, Bierstadt and Wolf took painting to new heights with their depictions of mountains, finds Michael Prodger

Let all the world sing

The 2026 BBC Proms promises to be a truly global spectacle, as Henrietta Bredin discovers

The queen of spas

Scarborough in North Yorkshire is the original Victorian seaside resort. Kathryn Ferry charts the development of its spa complex

The Revd Sam Wells’s favourite painting

The St Martin-in-the-Fields vicar chooses a painting where ‘magnificent humanity’ is laid bare

Country-house treasure

John Goodall unearths evidence of Bowood in Wiltshire’s wartime role as a ‘beacon of recovery’

Pooling assets

George Plumptre is charmed by the Anglo-Italian landscape at Renishaw Hall in Derbyshire

The legacy

Agnes Stamp pays tribute to speed merchant Sir Max Aitken, the king of British powerboating

Winging it

Mark Cocker assesses the anti-social antics of the herring gull

Luxury

Jonathan Self ponders the power of fine jewellery and Amie Elizabeth White finds coral for all

Interiors

Arabella Youens visits a kitchen giving a nod to history, and reveals that chequerboard floors are back

Travel

Rosie Paterson is looking for a New England in Nantucket

Arts & antiques

Carla Passino investigates the intriguing tale of ‘Mad Madge’, a pioneer of science-fiction

Truth, lies and somewhere in between

Michael Billington delves into a world of deceit and infidelity

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

The Experts’ Experts

Country Life asks architects, designers and specialists on its Top 100 list to delve into their little black books to reveal the talented craftspeople and suppliers they turn to for inspira-tion on their own projects  

Why haste creates waste

Hold off on that online-shopping impulse buy — there’s no substitute for carefully crafted quality 

It’s getting hot in here

Ben Lerwill sets his tastebuds a-tingling as he meets the British chilli-sauce makers adding to the spice of life  

Luxury

If you only buy one suitcase, make it a classic GlobeTrotter, suggests Amie Elizabeth White

Winging it

Mark Cocker looks beyond the raven’s grim reputation to seek the truth about our largest corvid

Sir Lindsay Hoyle’s favourite painting

The Speaker of the House of Commons is captivated by the Westminster riverfront in a work with a photographic quality  

On top of the world

Kirsty Fergusson applauds the stamina of the hardy souls who tend the spectacular clifftop gardens at Chygurno, Cornwall 

Country-house treasure

John Goodall stands in the stead of William Tyndale behind a preacher’s pulpit at Bucklebury House in Berkshire  

The legacy

Agnes Stamp salutes Agnes Marshall, the Queen of Ices 

While the cat’s away…

David Glasper lifts the lid on the cat flap, the means by which the regal feline can come and go precisely as it pleases  

An architectural evolution

Jeremy Musson charts the rise of Selwyn College, Cambridge, from its origins as a memorial to a 19th-century missionary  

The raw deal

Tom Parker Bowles savours the lip-smacking summer freshness of that Peruvian classic ceviche 

Travel

Rosie Paterson unpacks the latest in luxury-yacht looks and follows in Frida Kahlo’s footsteps 

Arts & antiques

Beauty and function were fused in the form of the sedan chair, the conveyance of choice for the upper echelons of Georgian society, reveals Carla Passino 

Art to dine for

Intriguing art can be a meal-time conversation starter in country-house dining rooms, as Melanie Cable-Alexander discovers 

Catch of the day

Collector Paul Martin shares his tips on amassing a school of exquisite antiquarian fish prints 

And much more

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

A place to touch the earth

Michael Hall visits the rural Dorset hideaway Lawrence of Arabia created to escape from his worldwide fame

The end of an age

Almost 20,000 men died on the first day of the Battle of the Somme 110 years ago. Allan Mallinson relives events through the eyes of those who were there

Winging it

Mark Cocker profiles Britain’s exotic ring-necked parakeet, now the most northerly breeding ‘wild’ parrot on the planet

Having a ball off court

Will Hosie goes behind the scenes at SW19 to meet the people serving up a successful Wimbledon Championships

Sir Michael Moritz’s favourite painting

The patron of the Arts chooses a work awash with grand ambition

Country-house treasure

John Goodall eyes a plasterwork rendering of the Aesop fable of the fox and crow that adorns Kenmore House in Virginia,

The legacy

Octavia Pollock salutes John Judkyn, the designer behind the American Museum in Bath

Interiors

Arabella Youens admires a British Museum-inspired hotel bedroom and Amelia Thorpe unearths accessories that cut the mustard

London Life

Will Hosie talks to Andy Cato about reconnecting Londoners with their food and scours the capital for seven of the best homes on the market before overcoming his distaste for breakfast with a week of early-morning meals over meetings, plus our writers have all you need to know this month

Dare to be square

Matthew Dennison pieces together the story of mosaics left as a legacy of Roman rule in Britain

Luxury

There’s bags of summer fashion fun for Amie Elizabeth White, who also dares to branch out with tree-inspired accessories

To the lighthouse

Kathryn Bradley-Hole finds that harmony abounds as the garden of Underhill House settles into the South Downs in East Sussex

Arts & antiques

Ceramics are a source of joy for fashion designer Zandra Rhodes, who tells Carla Passino of her enduring passion for pots

Home from home

The American Revolutionary War ended British rule in the US, but an architectural influence lived on, as Patrick Monahan reveals

Travel

Pamela Goodman is intrigued by a slow-burning literary-art library in the Norwegian capital

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

The legacy: Edmund Halley

Kate Green celebrates the astronomical achievements of Edmond Halley, who calculated the orbits of some 24 comets

Weeding out the wildflowers

John Lewis-Stempel explores Ralph Waldo Emerson’s view of a weed as ‘a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered’

The great escape

When wandering Ouessant ram Max goes walkabout, it makes for a testing shearing day for John Lewis-Stempel

On red alert

History suggests that Bordeaux is best in years ending in a five — and 2025 is promising to maintain the sequence, says Harry Eyres

Country Life International

Jack Watkins treads in the foot-steps of Lord Byron in Ravenna, Corinne Julius is seduced by ceramics in Puglia, Holly Kirkwood seeks out the best properties for sale, Anna Tyzack finds artistic inspiration in Mallorca and Russell Higham charts the story of the Scarlatti dynasty in Naples

Portraits of a lady

Obsessively painting her own image helped Frida Kahlo confront the pain that blighted her life, reveals Jessica Lack

Peter Layton’s favourite painting

The artist has his head in the clouds of a van Gogh classic

Country-house treasure

John Goodall takes a shine to an exceptional example of Italian craftsmanship at Highclere Castle in Hampshire

Wedded to the landscape

Kathryn Ferry commends the labour of love that Clough and Amabel Williams-Ellis created at Plas Brondanw in Gwynedd

Shepherd’s delight

Skies streaked with crimson hues are a spectacular sight for Deborah Nicholls-Lee

Winging it

Mark Cocker profiles the white-tailed eagle, the apex predator of the Unloved Birds’ Club

Luxury

Amie Elizabeth White eyes Egyptian jewels and Sir Quentin Blake clothing, plus a few of Corin Mellor’s favourite things

Interiors

Arabella Youens admires a restful bedroom transformation and Giles Kime celebrates the graceful ageing of verdigris

Seasons to be cheerful

Caroline Donald applauds the invention and imagination at play in the glorious gardens of Broadwoodside, East Lothian

Travel

Jo Rodgers unearths sheltered combes and steep coastlines as she heads far from the madding crowds in south Devon

Arts & antiques

Carla Passino meets Scotland’s first warriors as a new exhibition explores the long, bloody history of conflict north of the Border

And much more.

The Prince of Wales is to join an eminent line-up of royal Guest Editors when he takes charge of the November 11 issue of Country Life to celebrate his love of the countryside, as well as his desire to protect and enhance the environment.

In taking the reins of this special souvenir edition, Prince William is following in the footsteps of his father, The King, who has twice guest edited the magazine, on the occasion of his 65th birthday in November 2013 and his 70th in 2018. In 2020, his aunt, The Princess Royal, masterminded the July 29 issue. The Queen — when The Duchess of Cornwall — was the next to take her turn in the editorial chair when overseeing the July 13, 2022 issue, which became the biggest-selling edition of all time.

Last year, Sir David Beckham oversaw the popular October 22 issue.

The Prince of Wales’s edition will reflect His Royal Highness’s advocacy for improving access to mental-health services in the countryside, together with his most cherished view, his favourite recipe, his favourite painting and his selection of notable rural champions.

‘I’m thrilled that The Prince of Wales has agreed to edit a very special issue of Country Life,’ says Editor-in-Chief Mark Hedges. ‘Having met with him last week to discuss his plans for his edition, I was struck by what a passionate countryman he is and how much he cares about the welfare of those who manage it.'

'I believe that his views, concerns and hopes for its future will resonate deeply with our readers and I am excited to see how his energy and commitment to changing lives will be reflected in his specially curated issue.’

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

Everything, everywhere, all at once

Irises have inspired great artists from Vincent van Gogh to Sir Cedric Morris. Michael Prodger examines the flower’s allure

Green with envy

Why not take a leaf out of Tom Parker Bowles’s book and sample the very best salad flavours from around the world?

Pier into the future

Our seaside piers are the great survivors of the Victorian age and many are thriving in the 21st century, reveals Jonathan Lee

Arts & antiques

It is 500 years since artist Hans Holbein arrived on these shores, yet we remain captivated by his portraits, finds Carla Passino

Louise Farina’s favourite painting

The perfumer senses the zest of an Italian spring morning in a still life celebrating citrus fruit

Country-house treasure

John Goodall sees High Church spirit in a handwritten Bible at Treberfydd House in Brecon

History and fantasy

In the second of two articles, John Goodall delves into the fable-meets-fact history of Warwick Castle, Warwickshire

The legacy

Octavia Pollock adds a dash of colour to the illustrious history of Winsor & Newton, supplier to the stars of the art world

The importance of being Ernst

Ernst Vegelin van Claerbergen, head of the Courtauld Gallery, is optimistic about the future of the Arts, as he tells Carla Passino

Winging it

A beauty or a beast? Mark Cocker investigates how the exotic pheasant splits opinion

Luxury

Jonathan Self explores the royal enthusiasm for amethyst and Amie Elizabeth White weaves in some summer essentials

Interiors

An open-plan makeover wows Arabella Youens, plus perfect pitchers with Amelia Thorpe

Simply perfect

A 20-year revival of the Arts-and-Crafts garden at Fonthill House in Wiltshire catches the eye of Christopher Stocks

Travel

Sophia Money-Coutts savours all the fun of Florida on a trip to the party town of Palm Beach

A new sense of purpose

Robin Hereford is calling for a revival in the fortunes of brown furniture — pieces with style and sustainability on their side

A wrinkle in time

A new generation of American collectors is being charmed by exquisite English antique furniture, discovers Patrick Monahan

Cooking up a storm

Michael Billington is blown away by the RSC’s Tempest starring Sir Kenneth Branagh, but High Society delights without dazzling

And much more

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

For England, and St George!

The Revd Dr Colin Heber-Percy delves into the ‘England’ of the Selborne sage Gilbert White  

What being English means to me

England is a land of tolerance, decency, honour and eccentricity, and home to the apology and the witty put down, as six friends of Country Life tell Paula Minchin   

Write of way

Kate Green tours our classic literary settings, from the Brontës’ brooding moors to du Maurier’s secret Cornish creeks and coves 

Made in England

Bramleys, brogues, Barbours and Brompton folding bicycles are all the epitome of English excellence. Emma Hughes hails 35 of the country’s finest makers 

Andrew Comben’s favourite painting

The cultural charity CEO picks  an evocative piece of embroidery 

Country-house treasure

John Goodall is captivated by an orange-tree automaton at East Yorkshire’s Burton Constable Hall  

A castle of legend

In the first of two articles, John Goodall examines the legend and lore in the story of imposing Warwick Castle, Warwickshire

The legacy

James Fisher lauds Thomas Lord for giving us the home of cricket   

A fair exchange

Carla Passino takes a sideways glance at the history of great English exports and imports

‘The land of patriots, martyrs and bards’

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s English Traits observations have stood the test of time, finds Emma Hughes

Oh, to be in England

Matthew Dennison examines the allure of our shores for famous adopted sons and daughters 

Luxury

If you only buy one T-shirt, make it a Sunspel Classic, advises Amie Elizabeth White 

Interiors

The alchemy of first-class interior design is in evidence at this year’s WOW!house, finds Giles Kime 

Overflowing with charm

George Plumptre is wowed by the wonderful walled garden at Lasborough Park, Gloucestershire

Meat your match

Succulent smoked pork ribs are the ultimate barbecue bench-mark for Tom Parker Bowles  

Left of the field

WIll Hosie raises a glass to off-beat British cocktail ingredients 

Winging it

Mark Cocker is dazzled by the dusk displays of the starling

Unforgettable, that’s what you are

The forget-me-not is a memorable symbol for Deborah Nicholls-Lee

Time to grow up?

Is kitchen-based agriculture the future of farming, asks Will Hosie

Travel

Rosie Paterson follows in the footsteps of Homer’s Odysseus 

Arts & antiques

Walpole’s treasured possessions may return home to Strawberry Hill House, reveals Carla Passino

This sketched isle

Charlotte Mullins profiles the artists at the forefront of the new school of English painting  

And much more

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

Taking the scenic route

History, hauntings and high-jinx  figured in Britain’s first motoring guides, finds Jack Watkins  

What a Derby day

Epsom hosts one of racing’s most thrilling spectacles. Jack Watkins picks 10 of the best winners 

Monaco

Adam Hay-Nicholls explores the changing face of Monaco, Steven King treads the Prince Rainier III sculpture trail, Arabella Youens seeks out the best properties for sale in the Principality and Mark Hedges cruises serenely into town

His green and pleasant land

John Constable painted places he knew and loved the best. Susan Owens examines how insight influenced his landscapes 

Outstanding in their fields

From ‘shoy hoys’ to Worzel Gummidge, Aeneas Dennison traces the story of scarecrows 

Andy Wilman’s favourite painting

The television producer chooses a work that reveals a human response to the brutality of war 

Country-house treasure

A godfatherly gift ensures that Sir Edwin Lutyens and Shilstone House in Devon are happy bed-fellows, discovers John Goodall 

Building on the past

In the second of two articles, John Goodall reveals how Elizabethan Doddington Hall is thriving into the 21st century

The legacy

Octavia Pollock profiles Percy Shaw, the inventor of cat’s eyes, the 20th century’s top design  

Winging it

The feral pigeon’s modern-day scavenging masks a more valiant history, suggests Mark Cocker

Drawn to the land

Katharine Freeland meets artists who are mapping estates in an echo of traditional landowners

London Life

Jack Watkins strolls the streets that became an artist’s muse, our writers have all you need to know this month, Will Hosie shares seven of the best homes on the market and Rupert Clague charts the rise of the capital’s coffee houses 

Death, taxes and Tests with New Zealand

What next for England’s Bazball approach, asks James Fisher

Luxury

Amie Elizabeth White is on red alert — and gives pearl a whirl 

Interiors

Arabella Youens admires an extended Cotswolds cottage and Giles Kime ponders going it alone 

Dreaming of roses

Charles Quest-Ritson shares 1,000 reasons to fall in love with the restored walled garden at Dummer House, Hampshire 

Arts & antiques

Rebecca Salter, president of the Royal Academy, outlines her ambitions to Carla Passino

Travel

A mountain-top encounter rings a bell with Pamela Goodman

And much more

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

Taking the sylvan path

Gardens with a woodland slant caught the eye of judges at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, reports Kathryn Bradley-Hole

A lawyer’s fortune

In the first of two articles, John Goodall traces the history of Doddington Hall, Lincolnshire, an eminent Elizabethan creation

Swing low, sweet chukkas

Rupert Uloth meets patrons, players and ponies as he examines the widespread attraction of low-goal polo

Running notes

Never mind walking on water, the delightful dipper can amble underwater, as John Lewis-Stempel will happily testify

A lot of bottle

Gabriel Stone toasts the rise and rise of independent wine merchants serving rural areas

Maurice Gran’s favourite painting

The playwright and author picks a fruit-laden still life that looks good enough to eat

Country-house treasure

John Goodall marvels at a gang of grotesques holding up the roof of Baron’s Hall at Penshurst, Kent

The legacy

Will Hosie lauds Princess Sophia Duleep Singh and her fight for women’s financial independence

Playing with time

Anyone for knurr and spell? Harry Pearson laments the loss of traditional pub games from our rural sporting landscape

Interiors

Giles Kime reveals how George Saumarez Smith’s Country Life garden lover’s library blossomed at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Out and about

Country Life hosts a celebration of its award-winning stand at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Winging it

Hitchcock’s The Birds gave the black-backed gull a bad name. Mark Cocker profiles the unloved, but efficient predator of our coast

Luxury

Amie Elizabeth White seeks out the very best in hotels, holdalls and more, plus a few of designer Simon Holloway’s favourite things

Three is a magic number

Tilly Ware applauds the revival of the walled garden at Holme Hale Hall in Norfolk, where Arne Maynard has worked his magic

Travel

With the Kent coastline under-going an Arts-led revival, Ben Olsen visits Margate, the home town of Dame Tracey Emin

All the world’s a canvas

Theatrical luminaries from David Garrick to Nell Gwyn and Ellen Terry took centre stage in the art of their day, finds Michael Prodger

Arts & antiques

Art dealer James Mitchell is at his happiest behind the wheel of his treasured Austin Healey 3000, as he tells Carla Passino

And much more

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

The best of the West

Madeleine Silver meets the movers, shakers and makers behind the rise to prominence of their beloved Somerset

Get to the point!

Why can’t the English say what they mean? Deborah Nicholls-Lee tells it to you straight… ish

The legacy

Kate Green sheds light on the achievements of Sir Humphry Davy, inventor of the Davy lamp

The saint’s way

The country of Cornwall is a hot-bed of Celtic Christian tradition. Ian Morton profiles the leading saintly figures of the South-West

Carving her own path

Charlotte Mullins explores the colourful career curve that coincided with sculptor Barbara Hepworth’s move to Cornwall

Hannah Durkin’s favourite painting

The historian and author chooses a tender work by a pioneering African-American painter

Country-house treasure

The Victorian house organ at Cluny Castle in Aberdeenshire is music to John Goodall’s ears

A question of colour

Kathryn Ferry finds shades of the 1851 Great Exhibition singing out in St Bartholomew’s Church at Sutton Waldron in Dorset

They seek him here, they seek him there…

How did a shy, retiring flower blossom into the heroic Scarlet Pimpernel of French Revolution fame, asks Deborah Nicholls-Lee

Winging it

The unloved Canada goose has plummeted from exotic fancy to parkland pest, says Mark Cocker

Luxury

Jonathan Self feels the unearthly power of the amulet and Amie Elizabeth White dons happy hues

‘All I wanna do is have some fun’

Colin Macleod is a sought-after gillie and musician following his own beat, finds David Profumo

Interiors

Amelia Thorpe salutes the pool of British interior-design talent on show at WOW!house 2026

All in its place

Charles Quest-Ritson is struck by the perfect balance of the gardens at Conock Manor in Wiltshire

Quiche me quick

Tom Parker Bowles cooks up a classic quiche Lorraine, the custard-tart creation that is the grand maman of savoury dishes

Travel

Don’t forget to stop and smell the roses in the Swiss town of Rapperswil, advises Steven King

Arts & antiques

The diminutive James McNeill Whistler was a fiesty artist who punched well above his weight, as Carla Passino discovers

The Price is right

A septuagenarian’s performance of vaudevillian verve in a superb Arthur Miller revival catches the critical eye of Michael Billington

And much more

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

Home and away

Our homegrown traditions will take centre stage at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, as Kathryn Bradley-Hole discovers

A coming of age

Tiffany Daneff marvels at the miraculous transformation of a derelict estate into a glorious garden at Ferne Park, Wiltshire

Countryside sees red over ‘green’ schemes

Solar farms are enjoying their moment in the sun, but at what cost to our rural communities? Charlotte Cooper investigates

Hoops and glory

Croquet may be a game of mani-cured lawns and clipped hedges, but it does have its darker side, warns Deborah Nicholls-Lee

Kitchen garden cook

Melanie Johnson shares the perfect fish recipe with peas

Travel

Rosie Paterson advocates flying in fine fashion and Richard MacKichan goes wild about the Highlands

His Excellency Antonio Patriota’s favourite painting

The Brazilian ambassador picks a fresco of extraordinary genius

Country-house treasure

A coronation watch is a sign of the times at Ballyscullion Park, Co Londonderry, finds John Goodall

Architectural ambitions

John Goodall delves into the 18th-century political machinations that gave rise to imposing Ven House in Somerset

The legacy

The pioneering work of influential landscape architect Brenda Colvin is applauded by Tiffany Daneff

Flow states

Amelia Thorpe is the fount of all knowledge on water features

The best-bred buddlejas

Charles Quest-Ritson meets Peter Moore, a leading plant-breeder for more than 40 years

Winging it

Continuing his series on unloved birds, Mark Cocker profiles the much misunderstood cormorant

Mirror, mirror on the wall

Melanie Cable-Alexander reflects on the mirror’s place in the history of our country houses

Luxury

Favourbrook is the home of the waistcoat for Amie Elizabeth White

Interiors

Arabella Youens admires a fresh London sitting room and Giles Kime is wowed by WOW!house

Round and round we go

Rob Crossan tucks into a fluffy Tunnock’s Tea Cake as the tasty Scottish treat turns 70

Arts & antiques

Elizabeth I and the power of the portrait fascinates Philip Mould, as he explains to Carla Passino

It’s all Greek to me

Matthew Dennison explores the Georgian-era taste for furniture with a touch of classical whimsy

Behind the curtain

New stage drapes will be unveiled at the Royal Opera House this month. Claire Jackson reports

And much more

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

The legacy

Kate Green salutes ‘Rutshire Chronicles’ author Dame Jilly Cooper, whose much-loved books have sold 11 million copies

‘We must farm with Nature, not against it’

Forward-thinking Cotswolds farmers explain to Mary Skipwith how they are using sustainable methods to balance food pro-duction with wildlife recovery

They broke the mould

Records are there to be broken, suggests Kate Green, as she profiles would-be history makers at the Badminton Horse Trials

Winging it

In a new series on unloved birds, Mark Cocker profiles the carrion crow, that most canny of corvids

Creating a buzz

Melanie Cable-Alexander meets the honey sommeliers who are busy as bees trying to elevate our appreciation of this liquid gold

Right up your alley

The game of boules was banned in England for centuries, but pétanque is peaking once again

Karl Openshaw’s favourite painting

The designer chooses a vibrant abstract work of clashing colours

Country-house treasure

John Goodall is struck by the Duke of Wellington’s hearing stick at Apsley House, London

A galaxy of details in stone

John Goodall investigates the fascinating history of the Old and New Deanery in Gloucester

‘Splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower’

John Wright peeks into the golden grasslands of Britain and finds a hidden world teeming with life and vitality

Luxury

Dressing for the Chelsea Flower Show, plus the darling buds of May, with Amie Elizabeth White

Interiors

Go to sleep in style with Amelia Thorpe’s selection of the best in beds and bedside accessories

London Life

Grace McCloud looks at Lee Alexander McQueen’s legacy, Will Hosie presents seven of the best properties for sale, Kathryn Ferry revives the spirit of the Festival of Britain and Battersea Pleasure Gardens, plus our writers have all you need to know this month

From cattle byre to elegant bower

George Plumptre pays tribute to the four generations that have created spectacular gardens at Hodges Barn in Gloucestershire

Dark magic

Gentleman’s Relish is the pride of Britain for Tom Parker Bowles

Travel

Pamela Goodman falls in love with Manrique’s Lanzarote

Arts & antiques

A visit to the porcelain capital of China changed Felicity Aylieff’s career, as she tells Carla Passino

Breaking the code

Michael Hall ponders the meaning of still life and the often fruitless search for symbolism in art

Drawn to the natural world

Jack Watkins relives the magical animal stories of Alison Uttley

And much more.

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

The Season

• Rupert Uloth and Emma Hughes share a who’s who of the Season’s characters
  Melanie Cable-Alexander discovers the drama of headdresses 
• Tom Parker Bowles is packing for a dream picnic, whatever the weather
• Will Hosie rounds up 10 clubs that are the talk of town and country 

A hole new level of chaos

With the parlous, potholed state of Britain’s roads eliciting anger and amusement, Julie Harding asks if relief is around the corner

Simon Harrison’s favourite painting

The Ceramic Art London fair director chooses an astonishing still life that brims with vitality

Country-house treasure

John Goodall visits a new library that encapsulates the history of Pitchford Hall in Shropshire

Rising to the challenge

In the second of two articles, Jeremy Musson examines how Glin Castle in Co Limerick has been kept in the FitzGerald family

‘Gold bubbles rising into the sky’

The ‘wobbling water call’ of the curlew lifted the hearts of our leading writers, finds Jack Watkins

Scale model

David Profumo profiles the bleak, a striking member of the carp clan

The legacy

Amie Elizabeth White tips her top hat to Beau Brummell, architect of the Royal Ascot dress code

Luxury

Flat caps and frogs catch Amie Elizabeth White’s eye, plus Sarah Corbett-Winder’s favourite things

A garden lover’s library

George Saumarez Smith of Adam Architecture reveals his inspiration for the Country Life stand at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Interiors

Amelia Thorpe picks out the best in garden furniture and accessories for life outdoors

Making up lost ground

Charles Quest-Ritson discovers how evidence of the past fuelled a bright future for the gardens of Wootton Hall in Staffordshire

Have you had your Weetabix?

Rob Crossan has, as he marks the centenary of the breakfast cereal that started life as Granose in New South Wales, Australia

Childhood lost and found

A box of old Nature books lurking in the attic transports John Lewis-Stempel back to 1970s rural Herefordshire

Arts & antiques

Print-fair director Helen Rosslyn will never part with her ‘special’ German Expressionist woodcut, as she reveals to Carla Passino

A leap in the dark

Mary Miers explores the use of light and shade in the highly charged spiritual paintings of Francisco de Zurbarán

Travel

Luke Abrahams enjoys the laid-back lifestyle at Positano in Italy

Wild arts run free

Small-scale opera is big news, says Ysenda Maxtone-Graham

And much more.

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

Be my (royal) guest

A visit from a reigning monarch can be at once onerous and an honour. Bronwen Riley delves into the history of royal retinues

Tails of the unexpected

The much-loved red squirrel has long been in decline, but Vicky Liddell reports on a welcome resurgence for Sciurus vulgaris

Manners maketh the fisherman

Leave a lasting impression with David Profumo’s tongue-in-cheek tips for the upcoming season

Blast to the past

If you could turn back the clock, would you see Stonehenge being built or chat to Hieronymus Bosch? Carla Passino talks time travel

Madeleine Bessborough’s favourite painting

The art-centre founder chooses a seaside scene that is the best of British landscape painting

Country-house treasure

John Goodall is warmed by the roaring blaze of Bloomsbury artist Duncan Grant’s flaming firescreen at Knole in Kent

The Knight and his castle

John Goodall chronicles the colourful history of the Knights of Glin and the construction of Glin Castle in Co Limerick

The legacy

Kate Green salutes Sir Patrick Abercrombie, the driving force in the founding of the CPRE

Come fly with me

A pilot’s licence is a ticket to freedom and adventure most can only imagine. Freda Lewis-Stempel takes to the skies

Luxury

Be a good sport with essential, but stylish workout accessories selected by Amie Elizabeth White

Interiors

Amelia Thorpe seeks out the latest choices in paints and wall coverings and Giles Kime explores the complexity of creating a simple, pared-back look

To give dew praise

Deborah Nicholls-Lee drinks in delicate early-morning droplets that have long drawn the attention of poets and scientists alike

The unlikely conservationist

A bluebell wood deep in Kew’s botanic gardens — saved for the nation by a royal bequest — is now teeming with new life, as Kendra Wilson discovers

Not so intelligent after all

Caroline Donald hankers for human expertise after asking chatbots to design a flowerbed

Travel

Beautiful Burford offers the ideal base to explore the Oxfordshire Cotswolds, as Richard MacKichan discovers

Art & antiques

Thomas Gainsborough’s love of landscapes paved the way for both Turner and Constable, as Carla Passino reveals

And much more

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

‘Oh, mow on then’

How did the lawnmower leap from the light tread of camel power to cutting-edge technology? Harry Pearson investigates

Braking with tradition

Military precision was needed to manoeuvre a fleet of precious vehicles on RY Britannia. Jeremy Taylor looks into the logistics

Luxury

Jonathan Self cracks the mystery of Fabergé’s Winter Egg and Amie Elizabeth White picks pieces inspired by the insect kingdom

Fit for a Queen

Elizabeth II was renowned for her distinctive country-clothing style. Amy de la Haye delves into the wardrobe of the late monarch

Catherine Ostler’s favourite painting

The author and historian picks a portrait that captures a moment of innocence in two young lives

Country-house treasure

John Goodall gets to the heart of the matter in the central Staircase Hall at Madresfield Court in Worcestershire

A yeoman’s home

The history of striking, florally decorated Calico House in Kent is traced back to its Middle Ages origins by John Goodall

The legacy

Emma Hughes salutes Campion creator Margery Allingham, one of the queens of crime fiction

A window on the wild

From the adoration of a fox cub to boxing hares, we showcase the best in wildlife photography

Rooting for you

There is more to valerian than the beauty of its blushing-pink, trumpet-shaped flowers, as Deborah Nicholls-Lee reveals

Meet the brass band

The quartet of craftsmen at instrument-repair firm McQueens may be the best in the business, but they don’t blow their own trumpets, finds Lotte Brundle

Interiors

The smart design of a double-height hallway in a house on the Berkshire border catches the eye of Arabella Youens and Amelia Thorpe sizes up circular tables

Where dinosaurs dare to tread

Charles Quest-Ritson celebrates the stroke of fortune behind the rejuvenation of a long-forgotten Victorian fernery at picturesque Canonteign Falls in Devon

Travel

Chris Cotonou goes in search of the elusive, nocturnal kiwi, the national mascot of New Zealand

Art & antiques

A new display at Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire charts the remarkable rise of the Rothschilds. Carla Passino reports

The best things come in threes

Michael Billington is buoyed by a trio of tip-top productions from the National Theatre and lauds the arrival of new stage star

And much more

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

Chalking it up

Vicky Liddell explores the myth, mystery and folklore behind the ancient hill figures adorning our countryside.

Seen and herd

Eleanor Doughty meets farmers keen to make the imposing bison a more familiar sight in Britain

Labours of love

Arabella Youens explores the folk-art-inspired interiors of much-loved historic gypsy wagons.

A warm welcome

Ashington Manor in Somerset offers a blueprint for 21st-century restoration, suggests Giles Kime.

So near, yet so far

A revived cricket pavilion in Devon is now a perfect family retreat, finds Arabella Youens

Bright and beautiful

Amelia Thorpe selects the best new looks for the new season.

Brushing up on history

Choosing colours that chime with the history of a house is key, as paint experts tell Arabella Youens.

Words don't come easy

Plain-speaking Giles Kime cuts through the confusing language used in modern interior design.

As sure as eggs is eggs

Restaurants may come and go, but good eggs Benedict will always endure in the eyes of Tom Parker Bowles.

Travel

Rosie Paterson eyes adventures in Africa and Indonesia and Christopher Wallace surveys the dramatic Namibia landscape from above on an unforgettable Cessna-safari trip.

From coast to coast

Forager Mark Williams feasts on the natural larder offered up by the profusion of greenery growing around our coastline.

His bow of burning gold

Michael Prodger tries to enter the often impenetrable world of 'oddball' artist William Blake.

Rachel Portman's favourite painting

The composer picks a treasured 'natural, friendly' animal portrait.

Thinking big

Charles Quest-Ritson is left in awe of the scale of the gardens and planting at Mount Congreve in Co Waterford, Ireland.

A triumph of local talent

Jeremy Musson admires the restoration of Transylvanian gem Apafi Manor in Romania.

And much more

Twelve little Easter eggs have been cunningly hidden among the pages of this week’s Country Life (April 1 issue).

The exercise follows in the footsteps of the ladybird that we have hidden on the front cover, every week, for more than five years. Last year, we took it a bit too far and made if far too tricky, resulting in multiple calls from readers asking about it whereabouts.

To avoid a repeat performance and stress over what should be a restful weekend, the relevant page numbers are below.

• Page 33 Barometer
• Page 37 The taste of Britain
• Page 38 Stuff or Nonsense
• Page 59 Easter Bonnets
• Page 60 Subs Ad
• Pages 63 Chickens (clue: it's in the boxout)
• Page 69 Stout (clue: it's on the poster)
• Page 77 Dolls' House (clue: it's on the table)
• Page 92 London Life
• Page 102 London Life Garden Squares
• Page 111 Kitchen Garden Cook
• Page 124 Art Market

Click here for more information on how to subscribe to Country Life magazine.

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

It is a time for love and laughter

What the nation needs most is a good laugh, suggests the Revd Fergus Butler-Gallie, as he examines some of our wackiest Easter traditions

Hat’s the spirit!

Deborah Nicholls-Lee dons an Easter bonnet as she explores the history of this colourful and often outlandish headgear

Making small talk

The marvellous miniature world of the dolls’ house is becoming big business, finds Gavin Plumley

Major-General Sarah Johansen’s favourite painting

The deputy chief of defence intelligence picks a work reflecting women’s wartime bravery

Never a frown with Burford Browns

Arthur Parkinson investigates the allure of a breed favoured across the land, from Chatsworth House to Cluckingham Palace

The Editor’s Easter quiz

Can you crack the eggs-acting seasonal questions posed by Agnes Stamp and Kate Green?

Stout hearted

Now that one in every nine pints poured in the UK is a Guinness, David Ellis wonders what made drinkers go back to black

Country-house treasure

John Goodall wagers that you’ve never seen a coat quite like the speedily created concoction at Coughton Court, Warwickshire

Creative Gothic

John Goodall explores the church at Ampleforth Abbey in North Yorkshire, one of Sir Giles Gilbert Scott’s lesser-known creations

The legacy

Tiffany Daneff salutes the Revd George Engleheart, creator of more than 700 types of daffodil

Luxury

Amie Elizabeth White reveals how Elsa Schiaparelli fused fashion and art. Plus how to stay in the pink

Interiors

Amelia Thorpe admires a very English château kitchen and shares illuminating new lighting

London Life

Rupert Clague floats into the world of John C. Lilly, Will Hosie showcases seven of the best on the property market and Jack Watkins finds the lungs of the city in good shape, plus our writers have all you need to know this month

Pretty little things

Charles Quest-Ritson is capti-vated by the cottage-garden charm of the double primrose

Travel

Do you know your sirocco from your meltemi? The answer is blowing in the wind, as globe-trotter Pamela Goodman learns

Arts & antiques

All is not what it seems on this April Fool’s Day, warns Carla Passino, as she reveals the tricks and smokescreens employed by artists of old

House of the rising sun

Sunsets and sunrises inspired many an artist, but the latter gave rise to an entire art movement. Michael Prodger investigates

And much more

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

A leading subject

John Martin Robinson recalls a renovation fit for a Queen as Burghley House in Lincolnshire prepared to host the Royal Party

The legacy

Emma Hughes hails George MacDonald Fraser, the man who created the incorrigible Flashman

Whisker business

From unsinkable ships’ cats to the Chief Mousers of Downing Street, James Fisher reveals the top cats of the workplace

Scale model

David Profumo tries to get a grip on the slippery European eel

Lizzie Ball’s favourite painting

The musician chooses a vibrant work bursting with colour, chaos and ‘uncontrollable madness’

They may be giants

John Lewis-Stempel surveys the understorey of Britain’s ancient woodland and finds a world of unrivalled wonder

Country-house treasure

Dorset’s Minterne House is home to battered relics of the Battle of Trafalgar, finds John Goodall

Spats the way to do it

Deborah Nicholls-Lee reveals how spatterdashes emerged as an elegant aristocratic accessory par excellence

Easter parade

How do you eat yours? Country Life guzzles the most glamorous Easter eggs, from a melting mallard to pistachio pleasures

Holding back the years

Roquette’s best egg-laying days may be behind her, but she receives a stay of execution from a merciful John Lewis-Stempel

Luxury

Amie Elizabeth White on daisy chains, cheese and Thyme, plus Jason Fox’s favourite things

Interiors

Amelia Thorpe takes the plunge with designs for the bathroom

Country Life International

Harry Pearson finds French hounds lead the pack, Russell Higham visits music’s Hamburg homeland, Claire Jackson is blown away by Murano glass and Harry Pearson guffaws at an absurd dictionary

In perfect equilibrium

Balance is bringing eye-catching results for Josh Sparkes as his pioneering growing methods pay off at Birch Farm in Devon

Going for gold

Could olive oil emulate wine and be England’s next homegrown success, asks Giulia Crouch

Travel

The gripping history, fresh food and beguiling walks of golden Stow-on-the-Wold in Gloucestershire tempt Issy von Simson

Art & antiques

Art dealer Jenna Burlingham tells Carla Passino why she’ll never part with a view of the River Avon and Clifton Suspension Bridge

For whom the bell tolls

A collection of bells from the UK’s last specialist foundry is going under the hammer. Ben Lerwill offers a ringing endorsement

And much more.

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

The legacy

Tiffany Daneff applauds the enduring influence of Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, the father of English landscape design

Spring-loaded

Clipped hornbeam trees and multicoloured tulips catch the eye of Kathryn Bradley-Hole at Cogshall Grange in Cheshire

Show stoppers

With the local flower show season looming, Christopher Stocks examines the origins of this centuries-old tradition

How to win at your local show

What are the judges looking for as they weigh up the flowers, fruit and vegetables displayed in the village hall, asks Steven Desmond

Oh, to be in England…

Hope springs eternal for the poets of the British Isles: Jacqui Ritchie reflects on some of our most inspiring seasonal verse

Talk to me, goose

A gaggle of geese is guaranteed to bring character and chaos to any rural backyard, as Mary Skipwith discovers

Taco Dibbit’s favourite painting

The general director of the Rijksmuseum chooses a painting blessed with a touch of genius

Country-house treasure

John Goodall turns the pages of a 1464 portfolio of deeds at Great Chalfield Manor, Wiltshire

In fine form

From Dionysus to dancers, Amelia Thorpe seeks out the ultimate in garden sculpture

Sweet and sour source

Is there a flavour more English than rhubarb, asks Charles Quest-Ritson, who shares his favourite stalks for growing

Historical resonance

Steven Brindle charts the intriguing history behind the building and collections at Breamore House in Hampshire

Luxury

Amie Elizabeth White marvels at magnificent millinery and picks classic stripes that create the perfect playful look for spring

Interiors

Amelia Thorpe admires natural textures and tones in a South Downs retreat and consoles her-self with sleek and slender tables

Travel

Rupert Clague experiences the allure of the French Riviera, the destination of choice for the likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Matisse

Arts & antiques

Carla Passino explores how plants changed our world with a fascinating new exhibition at Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum

Show and sell

Country-house sales are no longer the sole preserve of the big British auction houses, as Huon Mallalieu reveals

Eyes wide shut

A host of thought-provoking plays at London theatres prompt Michael Billington to view world affairs through fresh eyes

And much more.

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

A 21st-century renaissance

John Goodall applauds an award-winning restoration of Castle Howard, Vanbrugh’s Baroque masterpiece in North Yorkshire

Now you see them…

Bufo bufo plays an intriguing role in the folklore and traditions of Britain. Sarah Langford studies the toad, warts and all

Among the Wicklow hills

Lucinda Gosling falls for the irresistible Glen Sit as she extols the virtues of the seldom seen Glen of Imaal terrier

The COUNTRY LIFE Top 100

Our guide to the best of British craftspeople, architects and designers, who are experts at breathing new life into country houses and their settings

Stem subjects

Matthew Rice’s annual Tulip in a Bottle competition is bringing fresh vigour to a 165-year-old institution, finds Tiffany Daneff

Heaven in a wild flower

David Hockney’s 295ft iPad epic A Year in Normandie celebrates the infinite variety of Nature, says Martin Gayford

Francesca Beauman’s favourite painting

The author and publisher picks a 1944 portrait that represents a meeting of artistic minds

Country-house treasure

John Goodall spies a life-saving telescope at Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland

The legacy

Thomas Telford is the epitome of civil-engineering excellence, says Kate Green, as his Menai Suspension Bridge turns 200

What a way to make a living

What happened to all the badgy fiddlers, powder monkeys and doffers? Stephen Roberts laments lost occupations of yesteryear

Luxury

Jonathan Self delves into the Affair of the Diamond Necklace and Amie Elizabeth White hails the Belstaff Trialmaster jacket

Where there’s a willow, there’s a way

There’s no end to the wonders of willow — Deborah Nicholls-Lee weaves the tale from aspirin to wickerwork and cricket bats

Run, rarebit, run

Tom Parker Bowles passes on pudding in favour of Welsh rarebit, a dish that turns cheese on toast into a savoury sensation

A new beginning for Benton End

Kendra Wilson traces the story of the plant collector Sir Cedric Morris ahead of the reopening of his Suffolk garden in June

Travel

Emma Love explores the Amazon in pursuit of the elusive pink river dolphin and Rosie Paterson unpacks the latest cruise news

There’s a star man…

David Ellis marks a milestone moment for the Michelin star, that assurance of fine dining first bestowed 100 years ago

Arts & antiques

The Divine intervention of Sarah Bernhardt set Alphonse Mucha on the road to a stellar career, as Carla Passino discovers

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

The legacy

Emma Hughes salutes Michael Bond, the author who brought us Paddington from darkest Peru

Sing when you’re winning

Mark Cocker celebrates the soaraway success stories of British birds, from great spotted woodpeckers to glossy ibis and little egrets to pinkfoot geese

A wedding who’s who

Giles Kime assesses the stereo-typical cast list in attendance at truly 21st-century nuptials

Will English eyes be smiling?

Jack Watkins counts down to the Cheltenham Festival as British trainers are tipped to fight back against Irish dominance

His blessed plot

Horse painter extraordinaire George Stubbs was also the pioneer of English landscapes. Bendor Grosvenor investigates

Art market

Huon Mallalieu picks out some of the treasures taking centre stage at this month’s TEFAF Maastricht in the Netherlands

Does the bell toll?

Alexander Armstrong calls for a concerted campaign to safe-guard Britain’s cathedral schools

Carmen Alvarez’s favourite painting

The Blenheim Palace collections and conservation manager picks a vast Marlborough family portrait

Country-house treasure

John Goodall views a haunting self-portrait by a tragic inhabitant at Capheaton in Northumberland

Studios of real purpose

Jeremy Musson is heartened to see the return of artists to the purpose-built Victorian terraces of St Paul’s Studios in London

Staff meeting

There is no more reliable country-side companion than a stout stick, discovers Gabriel Stone

A map, a map, my kingdom on a map

Ben Lerwill marvels at the remarkable skill and accuracy of 16th-century farmer-turned-cartographer Christopher Saxton

Wedding belles

Queen Victoria blazed a trail for the white-wedding tradition, as Matthew Dennison reveals

The time of our lives

Friends of Country Life share fond and funny memories of their honeymoon destinations

Weddings Notebook

Amie Elizabeth White explores couture and catering for the big day, as Favourbrook’s Oliver Spencer talks morning dress

Interiors

It’s cupboard love for Amelia Thorpe as she picks out the best examples of kitchen design

London Life

James Fisher goes up in the world, our writers have all you need to know, plus Will Hosie surveys the property scene and meets the trio transforming drinking and dining

Charm offensive

Charles Quest-Ritson meets the hepatica National Collection holder at her Lancashire home

Travel

Pamela Goodman wanders around a Wonder of the World

Arts & antiques

Carla Passino profiles John Piper, a highly versatile artist who refused to be pigeonholed

And much more

At Country Life Online, the thing we are interested in publishing above all else are ‘Intelligent stories for the curious mind’.

So, what does that mean? We want to tell stories that inform and amuse. And we want to write them in an intelligent and sophisticated — underlined by a strong sense of British wit.

We want to hear from you. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a world-famous journalist or a new and emerging voice, if the story is right for us, we’ll help you publish it.

We’re after coverage of the best cultural events, the countryside and the people in it, cars, travel, fashion, jewellery and watches, property, interiors and gardens. We want news pieces, we want long-form reads — and we want an emphasis on people, personalities, places and opinions.

We want to curate an experience for our readers that shows them the better things in life. They are well-read, ambitious, well-travelled, but eternally curious to see new places, hear new opinions and discover stories that haven’t yet been told.

What do we want in a pitch

One of two lines of topline information. What do you want to say and how do you plan to say it? If you want to interview someone, do you already have access to them?

Why we should cover it and why you are the writer and/or photographer for the job

If it’s travel or event-specific, please confirm whether or not you’ve travelled yet

If we haven’t worked with you yet, please include examples of your work

Who to send your pitch to

Please contact Rosie Paterson (rosie.paterson@futurenet.com) or James Fisher (james.fisher@futurenet.com) via email.

If you would like to contact someone on the print team, please visit the Meet the team page for more information.

Editor-in-Chief: Mark Hedges

Mark grew up in the Cotswolds and began his career as a gold prospector. He became Editor of Country Life in 2006, having previously been Editor-in-Chief of more than 50 magazines, including Horse & Hound.

He attributes his success to David Bowie and fly-fishing.

Editor’s PA/Editorial Assistant: Bella Fulford

Bella Fulford is Country Life’s Editorial Assistant. She began her career in London’s property industry before moving to Australia, where she worked at a travel agency and magazine publisher.

A History of Art graduate from the University of Leeds, she has an enduring love of art, architecture, travel and dogs — making Country Life a natural home.

Deputy Editor: Kate Green

Kate is the author of 12 books and has worked as an equestrian reporter at four Olympic Games. She has returned to live in her native rural west Somerset, with her terrier, and her favourite place in the UK is Exmoor.

Managing & Features Editor: Paula Minchin

With a degree in journalism from the London College of Printing and bylines in The Daily Telegraph and Harpers & Queen, Paula is also the Co-ordinating Editor of our bestselling royal guest-edit issues.

She lives in Somerset, where she enjoys working her two labradors, Nimrod and Rocky, in the shooting field.

Architectural Editor: John Goodall

John spent his childhood in Kenya, Germany, India and Yorkshire. Known for his irrepressible love of castles and a laugh that lights up the lives of those around him, John also moonlights as a walking encyclopaedia and is the author of three books.

Gardens Editor: Tiffany Daneff

Previously the editor of GardenLife, Tiffany has written and ghostwritten several books and launched the Telegraph’s gardening section.

She gardens in a wind-swept frost pocket in Northamptonshire and is learning not to mind — too much—about sharing her plot with the resident rabbits and moles.

Executive & Interiors Editor: Giles Kime

Giles is a former editor of Decanter magazine and the author of six books.

He oversees Country Life's annual Top 100 list of Britain’s best architects, interior and garden designers and is currently restoring a 17th-century house in the Itchen Valley.

Art & Antiques Editor: Carla Passino

Carla must be the only Italian who finds the English weather more congenial than her native country’s sunshine. An antique herself, she became Country Life's Arts & Antiques editor in 2023.

Her musical taste has never evolved past Puccini and she spends most of her time immersed in any century before the 20th.

News & Property Editor: Julie Harding

Julie Harding is Country Life's News and Property Editor. She has a master’s degree in English and grew up on a working Somerset dairy farm and in a Grade II*-listed farmhouse, both of which imbued her with a love of farming, the countryside and historic buildings.

She returned to her Somerset roots 18 years ago and now keeps a raft of animals, which her long-suffering husband, Andrew, and four children, help to look after to varying degrees.

Deputy Features Editor: Victoria Marston

Victoria grew up in the Kentish countryside, where she spent most waking hours on a horse, before leaving for university. With a first in English Language and Literature, a masters in Magazine Journalism and all her NCTJ qualifications (including the dreaded shorthand), she joined Horse & Hound in 2008, where she progressed from editorial assistant to section editor.

She joined the Country Life team as a sub-editor in 2013, moving across to the features desk in 2016 — but is still known for her ability to spot a mistake in seconds.

Victoria enjoys writing about everything from dogs to regional dialect and still fully intends to start a novel, just as soon as she finds the time (something distinctly lacking with both a rescue dog and a toddler in the house).

Associate Features Editor: Agnes Stamp

Agnes has worked for Country Life in various guises — across print, digital and specialist editorial projects — before finally finding her spiritual home on the Features Desk.

A graduate of Central St. Martins College of Art & Design she has worked on luxury titles including GQ and Wallpaper* and has written for Condé Nast Contract Publishing, Horse & Hound, Esquire and The Independent on Sunday.

She is also the author of a book about dogs, published by Rizzoli New York in September 2025.

Assistant Features Editor: Emma Hughes

Emma lives in London and has spent the past 15 years writing for publications including the Guardian, The Telegraph, The Standard, Waitrose Food, British Vogue and Condé Nast Traveller.

Currently Country Life's Acting Assistant Features Editor and its London Life restaurant columnist, if she isn't tapping away at a keyboard she's probably taking something out of the oven (or eating it).

Lifestyle Editor: Will Hosie

Will writes Country Life’s weekly Stuff & nonsense column, monthly London pages and additional features on culture, society, food and frivolities.

He also looks after the Frontispiece and not so secretly thinks that Stanley Tucci should have won an Oscar for his role in The Devil Wears Prada.

Luxury Editor: Hetty Lintell

Hetty masterminded the launch of the magazine’s Luxury pages back in 2012 and has overseen them ever since.

The best-dressed member of the team, she can normally be found darting between Bond Street and a photographic studio in East London.

Acting Luxury Editor: Amie Elizabeth White

Amie Elizabeth is Country Life's Acting Luxury Editor. She studied history at the University of Edinburgh and previously worked in fashion styling.

She regularly writes for Country Life's London Life supplement and has written for Luxury London, covering everything from Chanel suits and skincare, to the best pies in the city.

She has a big heart, but would sell her soul for a good pair of shoes.

Head of Design: Dean Usher

A stalwart of Country Life, Dean has been casting his eye over the intricacies of typography, ligatures and line spacing since his first publishing job in 2001.

He has a keen interest in art and design, and a lifelong fascination with Henry Moore, as well as sculpture, collage, photomontage and the Bauhaus movement.

Outside of work, Dean enjoys staying active — whether hiking, running with his two labradors, playing or coaching football, or trying to lower his golf handicap.

He is also a qualified football referee and FA youth coach, and could happily discuss the advantages of a 4-2-3-1 over a 4-4-2 — as well as why you can't score directly from a throw-in.

Senior Art Editor: Emma Earnshaw

Emma graduated with a BA in Illustration and spent her early career at Horse & Hound, where she became well-versed in both the equestrian art desk and Hugh Grant jokes. She later moved to the greener pastures of Country Life.

She recently relocated to the Wiltshire/Hampshire border and adopted a small menagerie of animals. Alongside two young children and her freelance illustration work life is rarely dull.

Emma is also the illustrator behind Childs Farm, and has worked with clients including Pol Roger, Tatler, Clara’s Corner, The Field and many more.

Deputy Art Editor: Heather Clark

Heather is the longest-standing member of the Country Life team. She lives with her husband, Chris, and their rescue staffie, Jessie. In 2022, they relocated to Burnham-on-Crouch in Essex and hope to learn to sail soon.

Senior Designer: Ben Harris

Ben Harris is Country Life’s Senior Designer. He began his career in publishing as a Production Manager at Horse & Rider magazine, before moving on to a Production Controller role across titles including AutoCar and What Car?

Driven by a longstanding passion for design, Ben transitioned into a creative role in 2016 as a Junior Designer on Shooting Times magazine. Within two years, he progressed to Senior Designer at Country Life.

Away from the screen, Ben can usually be found immersed in a thriller novel — provided, of course, that his daughters aren’t keeping him otherwise occupied.

Picture Editor: Lucy Ford

Lucy has been Country Life’s Picture Editor since 2016 and is convinced that, when it comes to photos, bigger is always better.

A Welsh hill farmer’s granddaughter who sidestepped the family trade, she spent 17 years as a press photographer around the West Midlands and Oxfordshire — breaking it up with the odd escape abroad — before trading soggy football pitches for a warm office.

Now living in Warwickshire with her partner Mark and their dog Betty, she firmly maintains that no day is complete without chocolate and a Lucky Strike.

Deputy Picture Editor Emily Anderson

With a first class degree in photography, Emily has spent more than a decade on the Country Life Picture Desk, sourcing thousands of images of dogs, birds, squirrels, hedgehogs and, more recently, a growing number of cats.

She has great fun commissioning all of the illustrations for the magazine — especially the ones that capture the eccentric British characters our readers all know and love.

Chief Sub-Editor: Octavia Pollock

Octavia, Country Life's Chief Sub Editor, began her career aged six when she corrected the grammar on a fish-and-chip sign at a country fair.

With a degree in History of Art and English from St Andrews University, she ventured to London with trepidation, but swiftly found her spiritual home at Country Life.

She ran away to San Francisco in California in 2013, but returned in 2018 and has settled in West Sussex with her miniature poodle Tiffin.

Octavia also writes for The Field and Horse & Hound and is never happier than on a horse behind hounds.

Senior Sub-Editor: Stuart Martel

Stuart landed at Country Life in 2020 after 25 years working in regional newspapers and a spell at the Press Association sub-editing news, sport and features for the likes of the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph.

A Guernseyman exiled in Yorkshire, he reads books, walks miles, grows vegetables and serves as butler to a rescue border collie.

Sub-Editor: Clifford Hope

Clifford put his physiology and pharmacology degree to good use by getting a job in academic publishing… until he realised it was Not For Him and moved into the significantly more exciting world of consumer magazines.

He's since worked on a range of titles, covering computing, digital and traditional art, film, graphic design, motoring, medical and women's interest, but nothing like Country Life, where never has the phrase 'every day's a school day' felt more true.

Sub-Editor: Jeremy Isaac

Having obtained a BA degree in Comparative American Studies from Warwick University, Jeremy is a media and lifestyle journalist who has worked as a sub-editor and writer on more than 50 mass-circulation, household-name publications, ranging from TV Times and What's On TV to NME and Uncut to Country Life, How To Spend It and Boat International. He has also contributed to several music titles and edited Country Music International in the late 1990s.

Jeremy enjoys classic movies, Golden Age television and Nordic noir thrillers, and appreciates most genres of music, including classical, film soundtracks, blues, R&B, jazz, 1960s psychedelia, rock, reggae, country, folk and Celtic music.

When not engrossed in his work at Country Life, Jeremy dabbles with retro-music podcasts focusing on obscure artists and genres.

Digital Content Director and Travel Editor: Rosie Paterson

Rosie joined the team in July 2014 — following a brief stint in the art world. In 2022, she edited the magazine’s special Queen’s Platinum Jubilee issue and coordinated the magazine's own 125 birthday celebrations.

She has also been invited to judge a travel media award and chaired live discussions on the London property market, sustainability and luxury travel trends.

Digital Director: Toby Keel

Toby Keel is Country Life's Digital Director. A former sports journalist, he writes about property, cars, lifestyle, travel, nature and more.

Digital Commissioning Editor: James Fisher

James Fisher is the Digital Commissioning Editor of Country Life. He also specialises in motoring content for the website and in print.

Born in the USA, he moved to a barn in Suffolk when he was 10 years old, which is when he first saw a cow and fell in love with the countryside.

After studying economics at Newcastle University, he decided to travel the world. After the success of his blog, he then foolishly decided to make a living out of writing.

He has worked full-time at Country Life since 2016 and has written extensively on the countryside, travel, motoring and property.

He lives in Bermondsey, London, with a large-white cat called Ted.

Digital Writer: Lotte Brundle

Lotte is Country Life's Digital Writer. Before joining in 2025, she was checking commas and writing news headlines for The Times and The Sunday Times as a sub-editor.

She has written for The Times, New Statesman, The Fence and Dispatch magazine. She pens Country Life Online's arts and culture Q&A-style interview series, Consuming Passions.

Social Media Editor: Florence Allen

Florence is Country Life’s Social Media Editor. Before joining the team in 2025, she led campaigns and created content across a number of industries, working with everyone from musicians and makers to commercial property firms.

She studied History of Art at the University of Leeds and is a dachshund devotee and die-hard Dolly Parton fan — bring her up at your own risk unless you’ve got 15 minutes to spare.

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

Do you own Britain’s naughtiest dog?

Calling all cheeky canines — COUNTRY LIFE is on a mission to find the most mischievous mutts in the land

I’ve got you, babe

John Lewis-Stempel marvels atNature’s symbiotic relationships, from barnacles hitching a ride on whales to birds debugging deer

The pubs that made history

Ashleigh Arnott raises a glass to DNA discovery, D-Day planning and Stilton’s exalted status on a pub crawl to end all pub crawls

Interiors

Tiffany Daneff admires an Oxfordshire garden’s bespoke green-house and Amelia Thorpe picks out glorious garden buildings

Baroness Jan Royall’s favourite painting

The former Somerville principal chooses a striking work by an alumna of the Oxford college

Country-house treasure

John Goodall unearths a 2,500-year-old Assyrian carving at Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire

Legacy of the aesthete bachelor

Contrary to popular belief, the National Trust’s portfolio is largely founded on the wealth of single male donors, reveals Michael Hall

The legacy

With Crufts on the horizon, Agnes Stamp hails Florence Nagle’s campaign for Kennel Club reform

Scale model

David Profumo profiles the lake-dwelling charr, a dandyish fish as ‘beautiful as a butterfly’

It’s alive!

Tom Howells meets the British producers rediscovering the flavour of fermented foods such as kefir, kombucha and kraut

A lapwing and a prayer

John Lewis-Stempel is lifted by the heart-warming sight of Vanellus vanellus picking over the Big Field in February

Luxury

Amie Elizabeth White shares the latest in jackets, jewellery and fragrances, as Rankin reveals his favourite things

Dear Daphne

Winter-flowering daphnes are a must for every garden, says Charles Quest-Ritson, who shares his favourite varieties

Brown study

Harry Pearson traces the story of Britain’s love of brown sauce from Hoe’s and HP to Daddies

Travel

In a new series exploring the best places to visit in the UK, Mark Hedges enjoys the delights of Cornwall’s rugged coastline

Arts & antiques

Ruth Fainlight treasures her Sibyls poems as a link to lost friends Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes, she tells Carla Passino

Reaching for the stars

George III set a trend for the Royal Family to be cheerleaders for scientific advancement, as Matthew Dennison discovers

And much more

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

A hub for living

Clive Aslet admires innovative Housestead, a modern home evoking the traditional buildings of its setting in rural Suffolk.

The feather forecast

Charles Harris marvels at the miracle of plumage, a colourful accoutrement that provides protection and facilitates flight.

Let's get ready to rumble

A 175-year-old Scottish firm is one of the unsung heroes of the Winter Olympics. Harry Pearson meets the curling-stone makers.

The whole darn truth

Forget fast fashion — the art of 'make do and mend' is enjoying a comeback. Debora Robertson digs out her darning wool.

Nadja Swarovski's favourite painting

The Really Wild owners chooses a work with an emotional link.

Country-house treasure

John Goodall is shown a 17th-century Pythagoras portrait that found its way to West Wycombe Park in Buckinghamshire.

The legacy

The pioneering approach of Eric Hosking transformed wildlife photography, finds Kate Green.

Hats off

Deborah Nicholls-Lee lifts the lid on elegant hatboxes, often as worthy of our admiration as the millinery found within.

Luxury

Amie Elizabeth White surveys the Wuthering Heights of fashion and celebrates February's birthstone.

Interiors

Amelia Thorpe starts the countdown to London Design Week.

Asymmetric thinking

Tiffany Daneff visits a new-build property in the Chilterns where the house and garden come together in perfect harmony.

Travel

Kate Eshelby ponders the future of conservation as she comes face to face with the exotic inhabitants of Brazil's Pantanal.

Arts & antiques

A new exhibition is marking 550 years since William Caxton brought the printing press to Britain. Carla Passino reports.

The golden touch

A renewed appreciation of craftsmanship is kicking back against a world of mass production, as Corinne Julius discovers.

Paradise revisited

Michael Billington welcomes the revival and reworking of plays by Stoppard, Strindberg and Coward.

A rum deal

Henry Jeffreys proposes a toast to the Royal Navy's tot of rum.

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

Cast in the same mould

Sir Antony Gormley examines the parallels between his own Reflect and the Adriaen de Vries bronze of Antiope and Theseus

Don’t believe in modern love?

With Valentine’s Day looming and singlehood rising, Will Hosie seeks dating tips from the finest minds among the Ancients

Ford momentum

Harry Pearson enjoys the thrill of splashing through the countless fords criss-crossing the rivers and streams of the British Isles

Luxury

Jonathan Self is bewitched by the poetry of poesy rings and Amie Elizabeth White says ‘if you only buy one Derby boot…’

Life in the fast lane

Norfolk farmer Gavin Lane tells Julie Harding of the sleepless nights he has endured since taking the reins at the CLA

Sir Thomas Drew and Hélène Duchêne’s favourite paintings

His Majesty’s Ambassador to France and the French Ambassador to the Court of St James share their artworks of choice

Country-house treasure

John Goodall glimpses early-20th-century life at Mapperton House in Dorset in the form of a black-and-gold satin dress

A house of collections

In the second of two articles, Jeremy Musson explores the exceptional modern collection in the historic setting of Ampthill Park House in Bedfordshire

The legacy

Carla Passino hails the artworks amassed by Sir William Burrell

Where the wild things are

Exotic animals from around the world were unveiled to European eyes by artists such as Dürer and Stubbs, finds Michael Prodger

Winging it

Mark Cocker profiles the elusive and elegant long-eared owl

Interiors

Arabella Youens lauds a London drawing room and Amelia Thorpe keeps the home fires burning

Floral geometry

Banish the gloom with glorious winter-flowering Camellia japonica, suggests Charles Quest-Ritson

Slow and steady wins the race

Tom Parker Bowles savours the boozy boeuf à la Bourguignonne

Travel

Ben Lerwill delves into the story of space travel when he touches down at NASA HQ in Houston

Arts & antiques

Georges Seurat’s sublime French seascapes are taking centre stage at the Courtauld Gallery in London, reveals Carla Passino

Write side up

Art has long drawn inspiration from literature — from Ovid and Virgil to Shakespeare and Lewis Carroll, discovers Carla Passino

And much more.

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

The legacy

Emma Hughes celebrates the genius of Ian Fleming, the brains behind James Bond, the world’s most famous secret agent

Zinging in the rain

Telltale aromas of the seasons are Nature’s signposts for our senses. It won’t be long before spring is in the air, hopes Laura Parker

Winging it

A barn owl’s soundless flight at dusk must rank as one of the British countryside’s signature sights, suggests Mark Cocker

Offaly good

Tom Parker Bowles makes the case for nose-to-tail eating as he savours the fantastic flavours of dishes from faggots to marrow bones and everything in between

Interiors

Amelia Thorpe picks out those little luxuries that can transform a bathroom into a relaxing haven

A budding genius

Business is blooming for Trevor White, who grows 600 varieties of roses at his Norfolk nursery. Charles Quest-Ritson reports

Beverly Joubert’s favourite painting

The conservationist and film-maker chooses an influential study of brawling big cats

Country-house treasure

John Goodall unearths a chilling reminder of England’s Civil War at Doddington Hall in Lincolnshire

A world of dreams

Aoife Caitríona Lau visits Schloss Charlottenhof at Brandenburg, a neo-Classical masterpiece built for the Kings of Prussia

Five, six, pick up sticks

John Lewis-Stempel adopts the mindset of Stone Age man as he wanders the woods gathering fuel for the winter fire

Scale model

David Profumo profiles the parasite-ridden ocean sunfish, a jellyfish-eating oddity partial to a spot of surface bathing

A study in scarlet

It is 100 years since London got its first all-red telephone box. Deborah Nicholls-Lee dials up a British design classic

Luxury

Charming jewellery and revitalising treatments with Amie Elizabeth White, plus a few of food writer Diana Henry’s favourite things

Arts & antiques

The legend and lore of Japan’s samurai warriors is charted by a major new British Museum exhibition, reveals Carla Passino

Humble, grumble, toil and scumble

An artist’s labour is never done, concludes Michael Hall when he investigates the depictions of people at work down the ages

The tragedy then the triumph

Henrietta Bredin reveals how Verdi overcame crippling grief to write his most acclaimed operas

Woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown

Michael Billington welcomes the revival of plays penned by Alan Ayckbourn and Tom Stoppard

And much more.

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

Feat of clay

Tiffany Daneff visits Whichford in Warwickshire and finds the future is bright for the traditional craft of hand-thrown pottery

Passing on the golden torch

Nurseryman David Carver is nurturing precious miniature daffodils for the next generation, as John Hoyland discovers

Through the garden gates

From Tremenheere in Cornwall to Bodnant in Conwy and Cambo in Fife, Country Life contributors reveal which glorious gardens are calling to them this year

For I’ll be a wild drover

Patrick Laurie embarks on an evocative, historic journey of discovery when he drives cattle across the Scottish Highlands

Where the Wildings are

Ian Morton delves into the eccentric life of motorcar-mad Eileen Soper, illustrator of Enid Blyton’s ‘Famous Five’ series

Rooted in Nature

The remarkable role of plants in the modern, manmade world is laid bare in a new book. Harry Pearson investigates

Philippa Gregory’s favourite painting

The historian and author picks a work offering a glimpse into the rarefied sphere of monarchy

Country-house treasure

John Goodall admires the huge Cheshire Cat grin of a quirky 17th-century shell lion at Parham House in West Sussex

The legacy

Tiffany Daneff salutes the great wild-garden pioneer William Robinson, who was a Victorian horticulturist ahead of his time

Throw another log on the fire

Amelia Thorpe keeps the cold of winter at bay with a selection of stoves and firepits to keep you toasty out in the garden

‘Plucked down in one day’

David Robinson revisits the Anglo-Saxons and Kings of Mercia as he charts the history of Repton Priory in Derbyshire

The good stuff

Amie Elizabeth White embraces the January blues with a host of cheering, warming luxuries

Interiors

Bring a splash of colour to the kitchen with Amelia Thorpe’s choice of cookers and lighting

Winging it

Mark Cocker relishes the solemn and mysterious call of Britain’s best-loved owl — the tawny

Ode to the swede

Never mind the haggis, a humble root vegetable is the shining star of a traditional Burns Night supper, says Douglas Chalmers

Arts & antiques

There’s something decidedly fishy about Matthew Haley’s most prized piece of Victoriana, as he explains to Carla Passino

A study in sculpture

As a new four-volume catalogue explores the spectacular sculpture in the Royal Collection, its author Sir Jonathan Marsden reflects on 10 of his favourite pieces

And much more.

It's 2006. Tony Blair is the Prime Minister, George W. Bush the US President, the existence of global warming is still up for debate, and a couple of new websites come out of early test versions to open their doors to the world: YouTube and Facebook. Amid all this, in an office on London's South Bank, Mark Hedges takes a new job: Editor of Country Life magazine.

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Two decades later, Mark has passed an astonishing milestone: he has edited 1,000 issues of the weekly magazine, the only perfect-bound, weekly glossy magazine in Britain. That's 20 years of magnificent architecture, beautiful houses, exquisite gardens, breathtaking nature, pithy columnists, and lots and lots of dogs — to name but a small selection.

It seemed only fitting, then, that for our own milestone — our 100th podcast — we invite the boss back again. Mark speaks to James Fisher about his unusual route in to the world of magazines, the unflinching veteran war reporter who taught him the hard way how to polish a headline, the incomparable experience of working alongside HM King Charles, Queen Camilla, The Princess Royal and Sir David Beckham on guest-edited issues of Country Life, and how magazines — and journalism in general — will still have a part to play in an AI-driven future.

Mark also talks about his memories of his very first issue, picks out some of his favourite moments from the 1,000 issues, and even opens up about some of the misfires which still have him kicking himself today.

Above all, though, it's a fascinating episode (even if we say so ourselves) which lifts the lid on what it's like to spend decades on a magazine that's become a national institution. We hope you enjoy it.

Episode credits

Host: James Fisher

Guests: Mark Hedges

Producer and editor: Toby Keel

Music: JuliusH via Pixabay

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

Artificial sweeteners

Do the benefits of generative artificial intelligence outweigh the social and environmental costs, asks Emma Hughes

Going, going… gone?

Extinction elevated it to near-mythical status, but there are hopes it will if not fly again, than at least walk. Emma Hughes delves into the past, and the possible future, of the dodo

A genius of the first class

Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire has long split opinion. Charles Saumarez Smith reassesses Sir John Vanbrugh’s grand creation

The legacy

H. M. Bateman was an inventive cartoonist who cocked a snook at convention, finds Kate Green

Winging it

The little owl is aptly named, standing barely 9in tall, but this miniature marvel can be a feisty character, reveals Mark Cocker

Easel come, easel go

Have brush, will travel. Maev Kennedy goes globe-trotting to assemble a collection of 10 remarkable artworks reflecting all the corners of the world

Henrietta Billings’s favourite painting

The director of SAVE Britain’s Heritage chooses a fresco and mosaic emitting a golden glow

Country-house treasure

John Goodall studies the peaceful Victorian ancestral portrait watching over Norton Conyers in North Yorkshire

Step change

Sweeping staircases are central to the ups and downs of life in our country houses, reveals Melanie Cable-Alexander

The generation game

The spirit of noblesse oblige lives on with the aristocracy’s contribution to rural communities, as Eleanor Doughty discovers

Interiors

Arabella Youens admires a make-over with a Moroccan flavour and Giles Kime brings a touch of glass to broken-plan design

The good stuff

Gold and silver make the perfect match for Amie Elizabeth White

Flowers of the desert

Kirsty Fergusson hails the glorious gardens of Riad Nouria as a new chapter in the long horticultural history of Marrakech, Morocco

Peak performance

Tom Parker Bowles savours tartiflette, an après-ski avalanche of cheese, pancetta and potato

We’ve got beef

Rob Crossan imbibes a cup of Bovril, the famously bovine brew hailed in the war years as ‘British to the backbone’

Arts & antiques

Carla Passino explores the story of our long-standing links with the island of Hawaii, a close relationship that is the subject of a British Museum exhibition

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

A peculiar genius

Kathryn Ferry salutes the fore-sight of Clough Williams-Ellis a century on from the opening of his Picturesque confection at Portmeirion in Gwynedd

Pour show

The winter ritual of wassailing is an ancient plea for abundant apple harvests that is indulged in to this day, finds Laura Parker

Shoot for the stars

Relive the most memorable moments of the past 100 years with 22 incredible images chosen by Lucy Ford, Emily Anderson and Carla Passino

London Life

Will Hosie considers how water defines and divides Londoners and ponders the possible renewal of a rivalry between the National Gallery and Tate Modern, plus our writers have all you need to know this month

In the garden

Grow ground nuts, says Mark Diacono, and enjoy tubers with a taste of nutty new potatoes

Helen Allen’s favourite painting

The executive director of the US Winter Show picks an intriguing portrait sporting a quizzical look

Country-house treasure

John Goodall is captivated by the fighting cats in a 17th-century mosaic above the Long Library fireplace at Holkham Hall, Norfolk

The legacy: Agatha Christie

Kate Green acclaims murder-mystery-writing maestro Agatha Christie, whose 66 detective novels have sold more than two billion copies worldwide

Playing your cards right

Matthew Dennison is holding all the aces as he traces the history of playing cards right back to 9th-century China

The good stuff

Glide seamlessly into 2026 with Amie Elizabeth White’s stylish selections for the ski slopes

Interiors

Giles Kime welcomes the world of possibilities offered by free-standing kitchens and Arabella Youens admires the boot room of a house in Gloucestershire

Shining a light on the past

Carl Linnaeus’s glorious 18th-century herbarium is showcased in a new collection of exquisite photographs by Lena Granefel, discovers Christopher Stocks

Travel

Pamela Goodman takes in peerless Himalayan panoramas from a remote luxury lodge in India and, in her monthly column, wonders what the Normans did for us

Arts & antiques

Actor and poet Leigh Lawson tells Carla Passino why he will never part with memorabilia dedicated to music-hall queen Marie Lloyd, his great-aunt

Scale model

Abundant mackerel was once greeted with garlands thrown into the sea. David Profumo profiles Scomber scombrus

And much more.

Where does all the time go?

It’s been (almost) exactly a year since the Country Life website was relaunched, which both feels like yesterday and also a decade ago. For a brand that celebrates the long-standing institutions of both the country and its countryside, it can feel like not much ever changes, but this year at least, much has changed for the magazine and its online offering.

We’ve produced a lot of good features, from selling dinosaurs at auction, polemics on the Millennial fascination with Pride and Prejudice, and the best way to make bespoke ice sculptures, to looking at the trials and tribulations of life on the North Coast 500, why living outside of London as a young person is great, and what kind of fashion house would best dress your dog (and one cat). We’ve interviewed Mark Gatiss, Jennifer Garner, Fred Sirieix, Elizabeth Day and Matt the cartoonist. We’ve spent days on the Calf of Man chasing Manx Shearwaters. We’ve written about travel, luxury, the Arts, motoring and, of course, nothing beats the property.

In short, it’s been a busy year, and it’s been a pleasure to share all these stories with you on our brand new website. The good news is that we are going to do it all again next year, both in print and online, and while there is much that we can’t tell you, below is a brief snapshot of what you can expect from us next year.

For starters, much more of the things that you love: first-person stories reported by our brilliant team of writers and contributors, focusing on the countryside, nature, the Arts, history, homes and gardens. We’re upping our work in the world of travel, finding the best places to visit, and telling the stories of people around the world to make you feel like a local wherever you are. We’ll be writing more about luxury, bringing the lives of the world’s best craftspeople to a screen near you and showcasing the best makers of the finest objects, because it's nice to think about nice things.

There will be plenty more special issues, focusing on the best interiors, naughty dogs, England, Monaco, fine art, Gentleman’s Life, antiques and the restoration of the country house. We’ll be celebrating our American cousins for their 250th birthday, and the architecture team has an exclusive look at one of the most famous royal buildings in the world.

So, 2026 will be more of the same, which is the very best of the UK and the rest of the world, and the people, places, plants and animals that make the countryside so special. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

And lastly, a very happy new year from everyone here at Country Life, and we look forward to seeing you in 2026.

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

Dangerous libations

How do you cope with a Kung-Fu Panda? What do you do when the Temple of Doom strikes? Olly Smith reveals how to deal with hurricane-force hangovers

Interiors

Is design destined to be more Moorish or will Egyptomania rule? Country Life predicts the shape of things to come in 2026 and Giles Kime says painted furniture is key to a laidback look

Jacu Strauss’s favourite painting

The creative director of the Lore Group chooses an intriguing unfinished 1830s painting that is still confounding art experts almost 200 years on

Learn it by art

The story of the British Isles is peppered with ancient artefacts and much-loved monuments. Charlotte Mullins surveys the centuries through 50 treasures, from the Ice Age caves of Derbyshire’s Creswell Crags to Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle at Greenwich in London

Are you ready to order?

Artfully designed menus have long been a tasty proposition for collectors, aided by designs from leading artistic lights such as Ravilious, Bawden and David Hockney, finds John F. Müller

Country-house treasures

John Goodall treads the silver-grey elm floorboards of the remarkably well-preserved 1630s hall dais at Restoration House in Rochester, Kent

Culture and commerce

John Martin Robinson marvels at the rejuvenation of Salts Mill, a vast Victorian factory building at Saltaire in West Yorkshire, founded on the prosperity of the British wool trade

The good stuff

Enter the new year fresh-faced and on tip-top form with the help of Amie Elizabeth White’s selection of skincare stars

Glistens like coral

The proliferation of new types of Japanese flowering quince prompted a four-year RHS trial. Charles Quest-Ritson cheers the rise of Chaenomeles and reveals his favourite varieties

Arts & antiques

The exquisitely rendered Cornish luggers sailing serenely across Henry Scott Tuke’s 1908 new year card to a friend make it a prized possession for Michael Grist, as he tells Carla Passino

From gardens and choristers to spies and Brussels sprouts, here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

Full steam ahead

Jonathan Self recalls the ‘railway mania’ that gripped the nation after the inaugural 26-mile run of Stephenson’s Locomotion No.1 from Shildon to Stockton

Mind the (hungry) gap!

Starched tablecloths and wood panelling have Emma Hughes dreaming of a return to the golden age of railway dining

Nature on track

The 20,000 miles of railway lines criss-crossing the country are welcome ‘green corridors’ for wildlife, finds Vicky Liddell

Small, but mighty

Octavia Pollock marvels at the magic of miniature railways tracing small-gauge tracks across the British countryside

Rhythm of the night

There is a wonderful sense of romance and adventure in over-night rail travel. Mary Miers revels in the sleeper-train experience

All signals green

From Suffolk to Scotland, via the Settle-Carlisle line, blooming station gardens are a sight to behold for Andrew Martin

Picking up steam

All aboard! Octavia Pollock hails the heroes of heritage railways who ensure our fascination with the age of steam rolls on and on

Drawing tracks

Carla Passino explores art’s love affair with the railway, seen in the bustle of Earl’s platforms and the serenity of a Ravilious carriage

Why don’t we ask the next train to take our love to Daddy?

The much-loved locomotives of literature reveal the softening of our attitudes to steam travel, suggests Deborah Nicholls-Lee

Rail travel

Emma Love lets the train take the strain as she rounds up the latest in luxury journeys, calling at stations from Rome to Rajasthan

The missing lynx in the food chain?

Roger Morgan-Grenville weighs up the pros and cons of calls to reintroduce an apex predator — the lynx — to the British Isles

Properties of the week

Julie Harding gets the party started with a quintet of homes boasting entertaining spaces

Sacred grounds

Tim Richardson applauds Paulo Pejrone’s revival of the 16th-century monastic gardens of Il Redentore in Venice, Italy

From gardens and choristers to spies and Brussels sprouts, here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

When Bethlehem is everywhere and anywhere

In a messy world, we can still find love and hope in our local church, believes the Revd Fergus Butler-Gallie

And so this is Christmas

Friends of Country Life tell Carla Passino about the paintings that symbolise the season

The Bishop of London’s favourite painting

Dame Sarah Mullally, future Archbishop of Canterbury, chooses unity in clay

The legacy

Kate Green marvels at Betjeman’s ‘most tremendous tale of all’

The heavenly city

In the first of two articles, John Goodall reveals the origins of Exeter Cathedral, Devon

Rubies for Christmas

Harry Pearson delves into jewelled pomegranate tales

Give me all your turtle-dovin’

Mark Cocker on the bird of the second day

We make Christmas happen

Jane Wheatley meets the people beavering away behind the festivities, from cake-bakers to cracker-makers

Merry Christmas, Peter Rabbit!

Beatrix Potter eschewed the abstemiousness of her childhood to embrace the festivities, finds Matthew Dennison

The spy who came in from the page

Emma Hughes ventures into John le Carré’s world in search of the real George Smiley

The Editor’s Christmas quiz

Buckle in and do your best

Relative values

Confused about your cousins? We can help

It’ll be all right on the night

Alpacas, angels and a trigger-happy Herod line up for the Nativity in Kate Green’s village yarn

Muff and nonsense

Deborah Nicholls-Lee warms her hands and hides her pistol in a furry fashion classic

Toy story

Old favourites, from soldiers to slinkies, can still enchant, says Tom Howells

Ice, ice baby

The frozen Thames allowed weeks of frivolity, reveals Deborah Nicholls-Lee

Very fetching

What designer would your dog wear? Agnes Stamp dresses the chicest canines

Green and pleasant band

Rarest and fairest of all, emeralds have beguiled Jonathan Self for decades

Luxury

Amie Elizabeth White picks festive finery and Manolo Blahnik reveals his favourite things

Celebrate the winter solstice

Tilly Ware falls for the frosty magic of the gardens of Helmingham Hall in Suffolk

Life in the slow lane

John Lewis-Stempel wanders rural byways

Deck the halls!

Spiky sanctuary or medieval motif, holly warms many hearts, says Deborah Nicholls-Lee

How to find your interior-design DNA

What kind of designer are you? Giles Kime’s quiz sorts the curators from the dramatists

Now you’ve borscht it

Beetroot is best for Tom Parker Bowles

Kitchen garden cook

Melanie Johnson on Brussels sprouts

Wholly smoke

Forget fish farms, the Secret Smokehouse is the place for salmon, urges Tom Howells

The lion’s share

Matthew Dennnison goes through the wardrobe to the dawn of the land of Narnia

Country-house treasure

John Goodall admires a copper dish at Hutton-in-the-Forest

Arts & antiques

Andy Warhol, Dickens and an ancient pine catch Carla Passino’s eye

Sing, choirs of angels

Andrew Green praises the Victorian collectors to whom we owe our familiar and uplifting Christmas carols

The good, the bad and the overblown

Michael Billington awards his Billies to the best and the worst of 2025 on the stage

The best books of the year

Country Life reviewers select their top reads, from Holbein to holy places and hedgerows

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

A fate worse than demolition?

A century on from Sir Herbert Baker’s enlargement of the Bank of England in London, Clive Aslet reappraises the controversial work

Still caring for the fields and the beasts

Kate Green charts the 180-year history of the Royal Agricultural University and Mary Skipwith talks to students past and present

Let sleeping dogs lie

Do you cuddle up to your canine companions or are they banned from the bedroom? Bethany Stone investigates

Season’s tweetings

Matthew Dennison explores the fowl and game forever linked with the festive period

London Life

Rosie Paterson reveals why London always reigns in the rain, Will Hosie shares his tips on beating the capital’s Christmas crowds and our writers round up all you need to know this month

Let there be light

Carla Passino reflects on Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer’s intriguing works focusing on the illumination of female subjects

A matter of faith

Andrew Graham-Dixon tells Carla Passino his theory on the identity of Vermeer’s enigmatic Girl with a Pearl Earring