Country Life 9 August 2023
Country Life 9 August 2023 looks at shells, animal architects and the North Wessex Downs.

See some of what's inside:
The master builders of the British countryside
Exploring labyrinthine tunnels and forest skyscrapers, John Lewis-Stempel gets lost in the world of animal architecture
Always reaching for the stars
Ben Lerwill requires a head for heights as he meets steeplejacks working at the top of their game
May I have a word in your shell-like?
Natasha Goodfellow combs the seashore in search of her favourite cockles and limpets
Grace and favour rooms
Many grand country houses are now welcoming overnight guests. Rosie Paterson checks in
Keeping it in the family
Norman Thelwell’s descendants have inherited the artist’s creative streak, discovers Octavia Pollock
Rose Balston’s favourite painting
The art historian is captivated by a female artist’s innovative work
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From Adder’s Copse to Gallows Down
Fiona Reynolds encounters both history and wildlife in abundance in the North Wessex Downs
A collector’s palace
Clive Aslet marvels at London’s Crosby Moran Hall, a celebration of the Tudor and Stuart worlds
Native breeds
Kate Green on the Eriskay pony
The good stuff
Mellow yellow is the ideal feel-good colour for high summer days, suggests Hetty Lintell
Interiors
Giles Kime discovers that top US designers are eager cheerleaders for classic decoration
Cool, calm and connected
Tiffany Daneff admires the pristine finish in a Chilterns garden created by this year’s Chelsea Best-in-Show-winning pairing
Of beards and men
Ian Morton charts the colourful history of the hedgerow stalwart wild clematis, or old man’s beard
A fool’s paradise
A fruit fool is the perfect summer pudding — and don’t spare the cream, says Tom Parker Bowles
Bringing the quintessential English rural idle to life via interiors, food and drink, property and more Country Life’s travel content offers a window into the stunning scenery, imposing stately homes and quaint villages which make the UK’s countryside some of the most visited in the world.
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