What you'll find in this week's issue of Country Life — and how to subscribe or get your copy

Cover of Country Life August 5, 2026 — The cover of Country Life August 5, 2026, featuringa cloudy sky over The Roaches in the Peak District, photographed by George W. Johnson.

(Image credit: Getty / Future)

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Country Life August 5, 2026, celebrates Britain's National Parks, looks back at the career of an iconic country house architect and muses on the wonders of clouds.

Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.

The legacy

Kate Green salutes Scotsman John Muir, national-parks pioneer

Floating on cloud nine

John Lewis-Stempel turns his eyes to the sky as he marvels at the myriad forms of cirrus, stratus, altocumulus and more

Spreads from Country Life August 5, 2026

Winging it

The sparrowhawk is the silent assassin of the Unloved Birds’ Club. Mark Cocker investigates its effect on songbird numbers

A princely project

Garden restoration and creation have combined to glorious effect at the Palace of Bishop Auckland in Co Durham, finds Mary Keen

Wendy Holden’s favourite painting

The author chooses a work that changed the course of history

Country-house treasure

A curious cabinet of Catholic dolls catches the eye of John Goodall at Browsholme Hall, Lancashire

A life in architecture

Clive Aslet assesses the stellar career of Quinlan Terry, hailed The King’s favourite architect

It’s written on the wind

Larch disease — which is spread through water and air — is the latest threat to our woodlands, reports Matt Ramsden

A kiss from a rosé

English wine producers are in the pink as their blushing still and sparkling tipples fly off the shelves, reveals Emma Hughes

Dressing for success

With a sprinkle of salt here and a drizzle of olive oil there, Tom Parker Bowles works his magic on the most humble of salads

Luxury

Amie Elizabeth White smells the incense and rides a nauti-cal wave for summer style

Interiors

Arabella Youens applauds a pied-à-terre transformed and Amelia Thorpe eyes standout ceramics

London Life

Will Hosie turns green with envy, seeks the perfect pad and reels around the capital, plus our writers have all you need to know this month

‘It must have seemed like Disneyland to the Victorians’

Horsepower has been hauling the trams of the Isle of Man for 150 years. Octavia Pollock is invited to go behind the scenes

Travel

Pamela Goodman visits Schloss Dyck in Germany and unearths a Scotsman’s garden in bloom

Arts & antiques

‘Fowl, fish and beasts’ were staple subjects for sporting artist Francis Barlow, as Carla Passino learns

In a glass of its own

Corinne Julius admires the talented British artists heating up the world of studio glass

And much more

Country Life is unlike any other magazine: the only glossy weekly on the newsstand and the only magazine that has been guest-edited by His Majesty 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.