Country Life 2 August 2023
Country Life 2 August 2023 looks at lawns, dawns, seals and a Kensington home par excellence.


Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.
Secret splendour
From a philanthropist’s party house to a spectacular family home, No 15, Kensington Palace Gardens, London W8, has seen it all. Clive Aslet takes a tour
Christening Day
Carla Carlisle greets her first grandchild with joy and reflection
Native breeds
Kate Green on the Wiltshire Horn, the classic sheep of Wessex
Interiors
Matthew Williamson’s richly patterned Mallorcan hotel and dinner plates with a touch of fun
‘My sun one early morn did shine’
What makes the dawning of the day such a magical time? Ben Lerwill asks six early risers
Crackling with good ideas
An innovative head gardener is working horticultural wonders at Highlands, East Sussex. Tilly Ware marvels at his industry
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Supporting acts
Amelia Thorpe’s pick of arches, frames and trellises for climbers
Sealing the deal
Our harbour seals are struggling, yet our grey seals are thriving. Joe Gibbs fishes for answers
What lies beneath
Countless millions of creatures crawl, clamber and climb deep in our meadows. John Lewis-Stempel delves into the depths
A real grass act
The upside to relentless rain is an emerald lawn, with neat stripes and croquet hoops. Steven Desmond fires up his mower
MOK Keeffe’s favourite painting
The LGBTQ+ historian salutes a portrait that made him think
London Life
Handel meets Hendrix, orange sellers and Little Kudu, theatre tickets to book now, the royal impact of John Nash and the best independent food shops
Travel
Rupert Uloth ventures forth in search of the elusive tiger in Ranthambhore, India, Sophia Constant saddles up in Spain and Pamela Goodman curls up in a luxurious cabin in the wilds
Kitchen garden cook
Melanie Johnson conjures luscious meals with chamomile
Country Life is unlike any other magazine: the only glossy weekly on the newsstand and the only magazine that has been guest-edited by HRH 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.
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A 500-acre estate that spent 11 centuries in the same family, for sale for only the second time in its history
In the beautiful hills of north Wales the Garthewin estate has come up for sale, including a great country house once restored by the architect who created Portmeirion. Penny Churchill takes a closer look.
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‘They remain, really, the property of all of those who love them, know them, and tell them. They are our stories, the inheritance of the people of Scotland’: The Anthology of Scottish Folk Tales