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The railway station gardens that bring a touch of bucolic bliss to an ordinary train ride
Gently tended by devoted staff, the railway station garden has become a rural idyll in its own right, says Andrew Martin.
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'You should need little reminding that the 1980s are back': Country Life's interior-design predictions for 2026
Eclecticism, coloured appliances and chequerboard floors are all in for 2026, says Country Life's Interiors Editor.
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How an eco-friendly interior designer transformed a former milking parlour into a multi-purpose space in the middle of the Pandemic
Grace McCloud meets the masterminds behind the transformation of a disused milk parlour in Berkshire.
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Forget Bond, the understated George Smiley is fiction's greatest spy
As a new exhibition in Oxford charts John le Carré’s legacy, Emma Hughes takes a closer look at his most enduring creation, George Smiley.
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Country Life's top 10 garden stories of 2025, from Alan Titchmarsh's hardy annuals to David Beckham's Cotswolds paradise
We look back at the most-read architecture stories on the Country Life website in 2025.
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‘I wasn’t really sure that I wanted to be a ballet dancer’: The English National Ballet's prima ballerina on playing Clara in The Nutcracker and her consuming passions
Lotte Brundle meets Ivana Bueno, who is dancing the role of Clara in The Nutcracker this year at the London Coliseum.
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The policeman turned goat-herder turned beautician, whose goats' milk soap became a sensation
Beautiful soaps always make a wonderful gift, and that's why the goats' milk soap-maker Nick King is one of our heroes of Christmas.
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How the spirit of Andy Warhol lives on through Christmas
Andy Warhol found Christmas a tricky time, yet threw himself into the festivities and, when he decided to illustrate his series on American myths, he had no doubt he should include the jolly old man in the bright red suit.
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Helmingham Hall: The ancient garden at a medieval hall where the drawbridge is still pulled up every night
Half a millennium of careful tending at Helmingham Hall in Suffolk — home of Ed and Sophie Tollemache — has given this garden a rare magic, most noticeable in the depths of winter. Tilly Ware paid a visit; photography by Clive Nichols.
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The exquisite Christmas decorations that spark childhood joy, and the decoration-maker who creates them
Elizabeth Harbour's irresistibly pretty Christmas decorations earn her a place as one of our heroes of Christmas.
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Giles Kime: Cushions, rugs, upholstered stools and sofa blankets are the ingredients of a pleasing new trend
Are you going soft, asks Country Life's Interiors Editor, Giles Kime?
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The plants to give for Christmas which will keep flowering for years
John Massey of Ashwood Nurseries grows thousands of Christmas plants each year — making him one of our Christmas heroes. Here are his tips for the best ones to give.
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A gift for every interest — and every deadline: The best coffee-table books to give at Christmas
Amie Elizabeth White rounds up some of the best coffee-table books of 2025.
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Has the secret of Vermeer’s most enigmatic masterpiece finally been revealed? A British art historian’s controversial claim to have uncovered the true identity of 'Girl with a Pearl Earring'
Andrew Graham-Dixon talks to Carla Passino about Vermeer's 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' — an iconic example of Dutch Golden Age art and one of the most famous paintings in the world.
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Why the interior design industry should ignore Pantone’s colour of the year and stick to its guns
A colour your landlord would adore is not one worth celebrating, argues Lotte Brundle.
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'Real children like it… I think it frightens some adults, but very few children': 75 years of The Chronicles of Narnia
As C. S. Lewis’s enchanting children’s classic 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' turns 75, Matthew Dennison pulls back the coats to explore its evergreen spell.
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Power, prestige and passion: Where to see more than 100 of the world’s best dynastic jewels
Many of the world’s most astonishing jewels are on display together in Paris — and they once belonged to Europe’s most powerful families.
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How to create spectacular arrangements for your Christmas table
Candles, crabapples and a Champagne bucket are all your need to transform your Christmas table, says Amy Merrick. Just don't mention cut flowers.
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The accidental Impressionist who captures country life on canvas
Painting a local cricket match, Sherree Valentine-Daines received an invitation that changed her career and led her to become artist-in-residence at Goodwood
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When Chelsea was grazing and pasture, not gazing and posture, this house was a Georgian dairy. Now it's a townhouse on SW3's swishest street
Will Hosie takes a look at The Old Dairy, a beautiful old home in SW3 that's seen the entire area grow up around it.
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The greatest flowers make the greatest art
A search for still-life subjects led Kate Friend to some of the greatest gardens and gardeners in the country
