In this issue

We salute you
As Blind Veterans UK pays its own special tribute to survivors of the D-Day operation, Octavia Pollock puts words to Richard Cannon’s poignant photographs.

‘Because it’s there’: the Mallory and Irvine mystery
Was the 1924 British Everest Expedition a success or failure? Robin Ashcroft takes a broad perspective as he sifts through a century of speculation.

Elegant and congruous

In the second of two articles, John Goodall looks at the abbey’s history after the Reformation and its descent in the hands of one family to the present

8 mins

'Plans are worthless, but planning is everything'

Country houses great and small were indispensable to D-Day preparations, with electricity and sanitation, well-stocked wine cellars, countesses to run the canteens and antique furniture to feed the stoves

7 mins

'Because it's there': the Mallory and Irvine mystery

It’s now 100 years since George Mallory and Andrew ‘Sandy’ Irvine disappeared high on Everest; speculation has been rife ever since. Robin Ashcroft takes a broad perspective

5 mins

Empire protest

Without meaning to issue a clarion call for independence, E. M. Forster perfectly captured the rising tensions of the British Raj. One hundred years later, Matthew Dennison revisits the masterpiece A Passage to India

4 mins

'Nature is nowhere as great as in its smallest creatures'

Giving himself neck ache from constantly looking upwards, John Lewis-Stempel makes the most of a sunny May day harvesting ‘tree hay’ and marvelling at the myriad wildlife including flies and earwigs–that reside on bark

4 mins

Bringing the past to life

An event hosted by COUNTRY LIFE at WOW!house is one of the highlights of a programme that features some of the biggest names in interior design

1 min

There's no place like home

Riding a train may not be as joyful as clicking a pair of ruby slippers, but there is a kind of magic to the new one-to-two-hour commute, because if you’re only in the office a few days a week, what does a little extra journey time matter, when it increases your buying power? With the flexible-working ethic broadening our horizons, you may find yourself shopping for a bigger, better house, without actually spending more money

6 mins

Stars of the West

Wonderful houses of the West Country are enhanced by characterful owners, from the man who bought the whole of Exmoor to Jane Seymour and Sir Terence Conran

5 mins

Life and sol

The sanctuary of the Balearic Islands has enchanted a multitude of creative minds, from Robert Graves to David Bowie

4 mins

Spring-fed genius

The garden at Selehurst, West Sussex The home of Mr and Mrs Michael Prideaux The streams that trickle through this woodland valley in the Sussex Weald have enabled the planting of thousands of different trees and flowering shrubs

6 mins

A tapestry of pinks

THE garden is now entering its season of vigour and exuberance.

3 mins

Hops and dreams

A relative of marijuana, hops were a Teutonic introduction to British brewing culture and gave rise to the original working holiday

2 mins

Achilles healed

Once used to comfort the lovelorn or soothe the wounds of Greek heroes, yarrow may now have a new starring role in sustainable agriculture

5 mins

The darling buds of May

May Morris shared her father’s passion for flowers, embroidery and Iceland, but was much more than William’s daughter. Influential both as a designer and as a teacher, she championed the rights of workers, particularly women, as Huon Mallalieu reveals

6 mins

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.