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The hottest seat in the house: Do you want to be in my club (fender)?Amelia Thorpe selects the latest stoves and fireplaces
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A chest that survived the deadliest shipwreck of the Spanish Armada is now used for storing fancy-dress costumes at a house in IrelandThe ill-fated Spanish ship La Girona sank in the stormy seas of Country Antrim almost 450 years ago. Part of it is still to be found here today.
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How d'you like them apples? A tour of the iconic orchards of Frank P. MatthewsWith the widest range in the country, Frank P. Matthews is famous for its fruit trees — and its ornamentals are proving almost as popular. Charles Quest-Ritson visits the Worcestershire orchards. Photographs by Clive Nichols.
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'We’ve been very bold, we’ve gone bigger than we thought and I love it': How bravery paid off in the dramatic garden at Shillies BarnUnderpinning a gently waving perennial meadow at Shillies Barn is a complex web of plants that echoes and repeats across the seasons, as well as reflecting the garden beyond. Tilly Ware meets its designer, Emily Erlam. Photographs by Alister Thorpe.
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Elevating the hardest-working room in the house to new heights with lightsThe utility room of a new house in Wiltshire shows just how important a warm lighting scheme can be.
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'Daunting, liberating and exhilarating': Alan Titchmarsh on the move 'that's given me a new lease of life'Gardener, author and broadcaster Alan Titchmarsh sold up and moved on a year ago — and while it was difficult, he's glad he made the move.
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Why did the tradition of home seed saving go out of fashion?Until the early 19th century, we collected the seeds from our gardens to plant the following year. Adam Alexander, also known as the Seed Detective, looks at why we stopped doing so and why this matters.
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'Ornamental, colourful and filled with good ideas': A glowing autumnal garden in YorkshireThe garden at Littlethorpe Manor near Ripon, North Yorkshire, is a consummate achievement. Charles Quest-Ritson paid a visit; photography by Clive Nichols.
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'Gardeners don't get discouraged. If we lose a plant, we look for an even better one to replace it. It's the triumph of hope over experience'The grass might have browned and died, but roses had 'the best season that I can remember', says Charles Quest-Riston — and like all gardeners, he gets knocked down, but he gets up again.
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The ship that never sailed at Chavenage, the house made famous by 'Poldark' and 'Rivals'James Lowsley-Williams of Chavenage House tells the tale of a hand-made ship that is a symbol of an unlikely friendship dating back to the Second World War.
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Desk appeal: How to create an inspiring office by Britain’s leading interior designersWith the demise of desktop computers, fax machines and filing cabinets, working spaces are becoming nicer places to be.
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'A garden that dazzles by its colour and orderly perfection': Highnam Court's 30-year labour of loveThe gardens of Highnam Court in Gloucestershire — the home of Roger Head — were unused, eroded, neglected and overgrown 30 years ago. Since then they have undergone a miraculous transformation, says Timothy Mowl. Photographs by Clive Nichols.
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'Having learnt the rules, he set out to break them': the legacy of David HicksBright colours, bold patterns and brave furnishing were the hallmarks of one of the 20th century's greatest interior designers.
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How can anything so small be so bewitching? The huge joys of the tiny cyclamenCharles Quest-Ritson on the effortless beauty of the autumn cyclamen. Photographs by Clive Nichols.
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Reinventing the country house: Country Life's reader event at DaylesfordPresented by Daylesford
At the start of October, leading experts in architecture, building, craft and interior design shared the secrets of creating a country home for the 21st century.
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How to grow your own pharmacy in the gardenThe power of medicinal plants should not be underestimated says Ann Treneman, as she explores the bounty of nature's pharmacy.
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Our favourite new-season paints and wallpapers to refresh any roomStruggling for autumnal inspiration? We've got you.
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The 17th century had Tulipmania, the Victorians the fern craze: There’s nothing new about collecting beyond artCarla Passino examines at how collecting habits have changed.
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From Napoleon’s toothbrush to marvellous menageries, British collectors of the past stopped at nothingClaire Jackson profiles some of Britain's strangest — and most prolific — collectors of years gone by.
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Hydrangea paniculata: The bold, brave flowers that can stand up to whatever the British climate can throw at themNo garden should be without Hydrangea paniculata, which can bloom until the end of October. Charles Quest-Ritson sums up the results of the recent four-year trial at RHS Bridgewater near Manchester; photographs by Clive Nichols for Country Life.
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The best specialist companies in Britain for country-house renovationsCountry-house renovations call for expertise and traditional craftsmanship, says Amelia Thorpe. Here, she reveals the best in business.
