Places to visit

Things to do: Winter weekend festivals, a five-course meal cooked over open fire and a guide to making glass decorations

Country Life rounds up the best things to see, do and book this week.

National Trust considers partial car ban in the Lake District

A spooky museum exhibition in Bristol full of exhibits to send a shiver down your spine

A museum in Bristol is putting on a show called 'Do you believe in magic?' which, should you answer in the negative, will do its very best to change your mind...

How Waddesdon Manor gets transformed into a Christmassy wonderland

Waddesdon Manor is gearing up for Christmas, with 3,000 baubles, 30,000 lights and more than a dozen Christmas trees to decorate the home over the festive period.

The extraordinary design festivals which spread ideas, shape our culture and leave legacies that last for centuries

From the Great Exhibition to the London Design Festival, Britain has a long tradition of celebrating creativity, says Clive Aslet.

Tintagel's new bridge: Dramatic, contentious and finally open to visitors

The new bridge has opened at Tintagel Castle in Cornwall, one of the most dramatic spots in Britain, and a place whose history is deeply entwined with tales of Arthurian legend. Carla Passino reports.

Sutton Hoo's £4m transformation from 'boring heaps of earth' to a place that gives a 'tingle in the hairs on the back of your neck'

Sutton Hoo is famous as one of the greatest archaeological finds in history — but has become infamous for its dullness as a visitor experience. The National Trust has now put that right.

Port Lympne’s breathtaking Spencer Roberts Room: Where art and interior design meet a love of wildlife

The Spencer Roberts Room at the Port Lympne Hotel contains a spectacular mural that can teach us all something about having our interiors exactly as we want them.

A classic car show in the very heart of central London, featuing a 1912 Rolls and Damien Hirst’s old Ferrari

The Belgravia Classic Car Show takes place this weekend, and is a real treat for the car lovers of London.

Curious Questions: How do you survive the Summer Season?

Potential faux pas abound in a British summer, but is it possible to find your way through to September unscathed? The answer is yes, says Rupert Uloth, so long as you always carry a brolly, know how to share a carriage with The Queen and own at least seven hats. Here are his tips.

Exbury Gardens: The wild woodland tamed by a Rothschild to become one of Britain's great gardens

Untamed woodland was brilliantly transformed into a pioneering garden at Exbury, thanks to the vision of Lionel de Rothschild. Mark Griffiths discovers how his legacy is being continued.

The Castle of Mey: Inside the Queen Mother's beloved home

A visit to Scotland in the first months of her widowhood encouraged The Queen Mother to buy and restore a castle. John Goodall describes the history of the building and the achievements of the trust that has managed it for the past 22 years.

Where to see snowdrops: The best places in Britain

The sight of snowdrops peeping through in January or February never fails to cheer us up – here's our pick of where to go and see them this winter.

Five magnificent winter walks in Britain, from the Brecons to the Broads

A brisk winter walk is the perfect way to shake off the blues of the cold, dark months – here are five superb spots to inspire you to get out there.

Five of Britain's most spectacular lighthouses, as captured by a beautiful new guide

A beautiful new book collects some wonderful images of some of Britain's lighthouses – here's a selection of our favourites.

Petworth: What to do, where to stay and what to eat in one of Sussex's most charming towns

Melanie Bryan spent a weekend in Petworth, the picture-perfect market town in the South Downs that boasts superb shopping, food and one of Britain's greatest country houses.

Britain's most beautiful narrow-gauge railways, from Norfolk to Wales

Six of the best city festivals around the world – and six amazing homes where residents are at the heart of the action

Celebrating 100 years since Cecil Chubb donated Stonehenge to the nation

Friday 26 October 2018 marks the centenary of Cecil Chubb's magnanimous gesture: turning Stonehenge over to the care of the nation. Annunciata Elwes explains how it came about.

Jason Goodwin: 'I was outraged. The bones of a king I’d barely heard of five minutes earlier had been spirited away – by foreigners!'

Our columnist takes a trip which sees him discover tales of murder, treason, desecration – and some rather pleasant gardens.