Country Life April 15, 2026

Cover of Country Life 15 April 2026, featuring a thatched cottage in Honington, Warwickshire photographed by Stephen Sykes — The cover of Country Life 15 April 2026, featuring a thatched cottage in Honington, Warwickshire photographed by Stephen Sykes

(Image credit: Future / Stephen Sykes cov/ Alamy)

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

Country Life is unlike any other magazine: the only glossy weekly on the newsstand and the only magazine that has been guest-edited by His Majesty The King not once, but twice. It is a celebration of modern rural life and all its diverse joys and pleasures — that was first published in Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year. Our eclectic mixture of witty and informative content — from the most up-to-date property news and commentary and a coveted glimpse inside some of the UK's best houses and gardens, to gardening, the arts and interior design, written by experts in their field — still cannot be found in print or online, anywhere else.