Country Life UK Magazine - January 24, 2024

In this issue

Country-house Clawdo
Whodunnit? The pony in the parlour or the labrador in the lounge? Bronwen Riley investigates tales of pets behaving exceedingly badly.

Rooms with a cru
A growing number of people are putting their wine on show—as they would a work of art— with the addition of a bespoke room, finds Amelia Thorpe.

All bark and some bite
The beauty and benefit of tree bark is more than skin deep—John Lewis-Stempel reveals its versatile role as food source, pharmacy and haven for wildlife..

When God closes a door...

TODAY, the National Churches Trust launches its manifesto calling for urgent action to rescue the UK's church buildings. Every Church Counts offers a blueprint for how churches can be saved for the future,' explains National Churches Trust chief executive Claire Walker. 'With hundreds facing closure across the UK, a national plan is urgently needed... We are calling on Government, heritage organisations and Christian denominations to work together.'

2 mins

Wildly out of whack

THE Government is far behind in its goal to halt Nature’s decline and ensure 30% of land and sea is protected by 2030, finds the latest damning report from the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP).

2 mins

It's the little things

AS well as Lindisfarne Castle, COUNTRY LIFE’s former offices on Tavistock Street, London WC2, and numerous country houses in the Home Counties, Sir Edwin Lutyens is known for designing a miniature, four-storey Palladian villa given by the nation to Queen Mary in 1924. This year, the Royal Collection Trust celebrates the 100th anniversary of Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House with a reimagined display at Windsor Castle, which opened last week.

2 mins

The money's in the honey

PEOPLE in Britain are eating less bread. Last year, sales were down by more than 4% and prices went up by more than 16%. That’s bad news for the bakers, but it is also very bad news for those who produce jam and other spreads. Cutting down on toast means customers cut down on jam and marmalade, which have lost nearly 5% of their market share. For soft-fruit growers, this is a serious blow, exacerbated by the huge increase in their costs.

2 mins

My favourite painting Ashley Campbell

Charlotte Mullins comments on Iris

2 mins

So much more than a walk in the park

After 75 years, the job required of national parks has changed. They now need to be hothouses of Nature recovery, and it’s time we got on with it

4 mins

Nationhood and corporation - Australia House, the Strand, London WC2

An imposing home for the newly federated Commonwealth of Australia sought through its design and materials to celebrate themes of union with Britain and national self worth, as G. A. Bremner explains

7 mins

Country-house Clawdo

Was it the leopard in the dining room, the jackdaw in the kitchen or the ferret in the nursery? Bronwen Riley presents a whodunnit of the worst-behaved pets

6 mins

All bark and some bite

A vital source of food, a pharmacy and a haven for wildlife, a tree’s living skin is a surprisingly sophisticated surface, says John Lewis-Stempel

5 mins

Where grace is laced with muscle

Real or fictional, horses have the power to change lives, society and mass opinion. Red Rum, Frankel, Black Beauty, The Pie: Paul Hayward considers his top 12 transformational equine stars

7 mins

Rooms with a cru

Successive lockdowns taught us to make the most of our homes, from the addition of everything from home offices to gyms. However, a wine room offers a much more sybaritic experience, finds Amelia Thorpe

4 mins

A river runs through it

The meandering waterwaysif Britain—in this case the Lyvennet, Eden, North Tyne and Taf—have seen it all, from glamping pods and rewilding to medieval village takeovers

5 mins

The sweet spot

A house under £1.5 million usually offers good, family-sized proportions, while avoiding a jump to 12% Stamp Duty

2 mins

Wall to wall abundance

The Walled Garden at Whithurst Park, West Sussex The home of Richard Taylor and Rick Englert Growing your own is one thing, says Tiffany Daneff, but building your own walled kitchen garden from scratch is a quite remarkable achievement

4 mins

Seed drill

I STILL find it magical that seeds carry all the information needed to become a full-grown productive plant. Our task is to ensure that this nugget of potential falls into the right place at the right time in the right way.

3 mins

The evidence of your eyes and ears

Podcasts are taking over. James Fisher finds out what they are, where they came from and what to listen to

1 min

Read all stories from Country Life UK

Country Life UK Magazine Description:

Country Life; architecture, gardens, countryside, property, the very best of British life Published by IPC Media. Country Life, the quintessential English magazine, is undoubtedly one of the biggest and instantly recognisable brands in the UK today. It has a unique core mix of contemporary country-related editorial and top end property advertising. Editorially, the magazine comments in-depth on a wide variety of subjects, such as architecture, the arts, gardens and gardening, travel, the countryside, field-sports and wildlife. With renowned columnists and superb photography Country Life delivers the very best of British life every week.