Country Life May 6, 2026
Country Life May 6, 2026 celebrates Jilly Cooper, the Badminton Horse Trials and delves into the greatest property in the Cotswolds.
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
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.
