Sporting & Country Pursuits

Crossbreed dogs: 15 of the best non-pedigree chums, from schnoodle to whoodle

The crossbreed is no longer considered an accident and dog owners are going crazy for these new versions. Emma Hughes sorts the schnoodle from the whoodle.

Rosie and Jim: The seven rules of cycling that no cyclist will ever tell you

Rosie Paterson and James Fisher share the truth about cycling, and wonder how it is that March was simultaneously 28 years and yet only two months ago.

Curious Questions: How, and why, do people eat stinging nettles?

Every summer, people from around the world gather at a pub in Devon for the World Nettle Eating Championship. But why? And how? Ian Morton takes a look, and delves into the strange history of this viciously-stinging yet ubiquitous plant.

Cirencester Park, still full of 'the amiable simplicity of unadorned nature' 200 years after its creation

Fiona Reynolds strolls through Cirencester Park and beyond into the Gloucestershire countryside.

How to enjoy a touch of Royal Ascot this week, even if you're only watching from home

50 greatest horses of all time

In praise of brilliant horses.

Cocker spaniel versus springer spaniel: What owners need to know

Which is the more popular spaniel, the springer or the cocker? Shooting Times's David Tomlinson weighs up the pros and cons for these much-loved breeds.

Curious Questions: Why do we call picture puzzles 'jigsaws'?

Jigsaws have been around since the 18th century and have gone through all sorts of iterations. Martin Fone traces their curious history.

Curious Questions: When did we first start playing cards?

Played with friends, family or in solitude, there are few things as familiar as a pack of cards. Yasha Beresiner takes a look at how we came to enjoy this form of entertainment — and how it's been spun out into everything from art to propaganda tool.

The 18th century canal tunnel that was a miracle of engineering, now reclaimed by Nature

The coronavirus put an end to Fiona Reynolds’ big walking adventures, but a local round along a Cotswold canal proved a restorative.

Rosie and Jim: On binge-watching Normal People, and discovering that 'running is pain'

This week, Rosie Paterson fails to tear herself off the sofa just as James Fisher finally stirs from his.

10 things you didn’t know about French bulldogs – including how they’re actually British

Elizabeth Whitney reveals some fun facts about the endearingly bat-eared French bulldog.

The photographer walking 7,000 miles around the coast of Britain: 'After 450 days of walking I've not been bored once'

Quintin Lake has always loved walking, ever since trekking from Lands End to John O'Groats as a teenager. But his five-year epic journey around the coast of Britain has taken his love for getting out and about to a new level — as well as his love for our beautiful island.

Farming Life: The cock on the brink of death, saved by spending a night in the Aga

The chickens are reprieved and it’s keep calm and carry on with the calving, says our resident farming columnist Jamie Blackett.

The Utterly Inessential Shopping List: Super-luxury board games for the bored and well-heeled

Never again will you be able to look at your charity shop-sourced Scrabble set with the same light in your eyes.

How to win at board games, from Monopoly and Cluedo to Scrabble and Snakes and Ladders

As millions of people around the country are set to have an enforced period at home, it'll be time to bring out the classic board games. But how can you make sure you beat the kids? Luck helps, but tactics are better as Matthew Dennison explains.

A walk through Badley Woods: 'My memory, is on fire, and I wander through the woods looking for places half-remembered, but intensely felt'

A return to scenes from a carefree childhood rekindles happy memories for Fiona Reynolds.

26 miles of wine and cheese: The madness of the Marathon du Medoc

It’s been dubbed ‘the world’s most idiotic marathon’: a 26-mile run through vineyards, fuelled by wine and cheese. Emma Hughes finds out if she has the stomach for the legendary Marathon du Médoc.

Is it better to save our nation's footpaths or let them return to nature?

Ramblers are encouraging Brits to map any overgrown path they can find, but the CLA believe we should focus on maintaining those we have and let the rest fall back to nature.

Bedlington terriers: The looks of a lamb with the temperament of a terrier

Bedlingtons may be mild-mannered and sensitive, but keep an eye on them when they're off the lead...