News
The latest property news and countryside & culture news
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The 'Sheffield Chainsaw Massacre' inquiry report: 227 pages of dishonesty and shocking behaviour
The destruction and removal of thousands of healthy trees in Sheffield sparked protests and recriminations that lasted years — and whose effects are still felt in the city. Will the publication of the independent inquiry's report put the controversy to bed? James Fisher reports.
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The fate of Ruperra Castle 'is a national scandal'
Country Life's architectural editor John Goodall is appalled at the lackadaisical approach of conservation authorities to Ruperra Castle, a Welsh gem in Caerphilly.
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The Dorset estates which show new-builds at their best — and their worst
New housing is one of the great issues of the present moment. Roger White looks at the example of Dorset, where he lives, and tries to draw some lessons from recent development there.
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Would-be dog owners urged to buy British by the Kennel Club
'There is a real danger we could lose our diversity of breeds', warns the Kennel Club's Bill Lambert, as Agnes Stamp reports.
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How 'levelling-up' in the Arts has backfired for regional theatres: 'It's the guillotine, not the salami-slicer'
London and the South of England have long been the primary beneficiaries of Arts funding, but is the Government’s latest plan to ‘level up’ actually doing the opposite? Claire Jackson investigates.
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House prices up by £14 — but don't spend it all on prosecco just yet
You can forget the champagne and even the prosecco ought to be kept on ice for now, but the property market at the start of 2023 seems in far better shape than we'd have believed in the dark days of last October. Annabel Dixon reports.
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How the Church of England joined the race to Net Zero
James Fisher reports on a very 21st century addition to one of Britain's great cathedrals.
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Plotting to save the parish church
As burial becomes increasingly sought-after, Jason Goodwin takes a look at the intriguing idea of Rupert Sheldrake and sees huge potential.
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Fast train to loss of trust: HS2 and Wildlife Trusts at loggerheads over impact on Nature
James Fisher reports on the claims and counter-claims flying between HS2 and conservationists.
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Opinion: It shouldn’t be a case of farming OR the environment — both sides will get more done working together
'Recently, we’ve talked about farming and the environment,' says Cumbria-based farmer Douglas Chalmers. 'The truth is that they are one and the same.'
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Is the property market seeing a soft landing — or a false dawn?
The latest dispatches from the property market make for much brighter reading than they did a couple of months ago — but are these signs of light at the end of the tunnel, or merely a temporary respite from price drops? Annabel Dixon takes a look.
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Property Talk: Why the price of farmland is set to climb again in 2023
Residential property prices have fallen for five months in a row, but prices for farmland and woodland look likely to buck the trend, according to latest analysis. Penny Churchill and James Fisher take a look.
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Government finally release details of post-Brexit subsidies for farmers
The long-awaited ELMS system has been unveiled by Defra secretary Thérèse Coffey. James Fisher reports on the news and the initial reaction from the farming community.
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United to save our plants — and stop another eco-tragedy like ash dieback disease
James Fisher reports on the latest efforts by Defra to help stop the spread of plant diseases in the UK.
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Why there are so many empty buildings in the UK — and how we should be using them
Lucy Denton asks why we have so many uninhabited dwellings and what we can do to save them.
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Tottering-by-Gently celebrates 30th birthday in Country Life
Country Life's Tottering-by-Gently cartoon turns 30 years old this month.
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The 240 sites added to the National Heritage List in the last year
A Lutyens garden, several shipwrecks and a watermill made famous by Constable are among the newly-protected places announced by Historic England.
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'An incomprehensible act of self-harm': The angry reaction to the new coal mine in Cumbria
The government's decision to allow a new coal mine to be opened has sparked outrage from across the political and environmental spectrum, as James Fisher reports.
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Climate change means we need new approach to tree planting or we'll keep losing them in storms, says chair of Forestry Commission
Britain needs to think again about its plans for tree planting, according to Forestry Commission data. Stuart Martel reports.