CATEGORIES

All roads lead to Rome

Thomas, 14th Earl of Arundel, amassed the first large collection of classical sculptures in the 17th century. Britain's passion for antiquities has endured to this day, albeit with a different approach, as Carla Passino discovers

To ski or not to ski

'Falling over was easy, even on the flat; getting up was disastrous;

La dolce Dolomites

There's more to skiing than the French and Swiss Alps, says James Fisher, who goes in search of new adventures in the Italian mountains

There's no time like the ancient present

Athens, cradle of civilisation, is enjoying a rapid renaissance, says Luke Abrahams, and the best time to visit is right now

At the turn of the century

La Mamounia in Marrakech has a storied past. As it turns 100, Mary Lussiana returns to reflect on its successes and guess what the next few years might hold

Jerusalem-artichoke chowder with mussels and chive oil

'Sweet and nutty with a hint of artichoke, peel them with a spoon as you would ginger'

It's a mash up

'Floury-fleshed 'Kestrel' is better than any I've tried'

On the hour, every hour

The Greenwich Time Signal has been a ubiquitous part of BBC Radio for a century, but few know what it really is and where it came from, says Rob Crossan

Talk of the town

With his inside-out buildings, wedged skyscrapers and skyline-poking struts, Richard Rogers changed the London landscape, as well as pioneering sustainable urban living, as Carla Passino discovers

Lands of hope and glory

Farms and estates did not lose their appeal in 2023, with some local buyers and even a happy ending to a long-running Cornish dispute

Making a splash

Ideas for creating a luxury bathing and dressing sanctuary at home, selected by Amelia Thorpe

The secret of a good night's sleep

Amanda Oldfield of The Wrought Iron and Brass Bed Company tells COUNTRY LIFE why the quality of your sleep is only as good as the quality of your bed

Interiors: The designer's room

The restoration of a bathroom at Ven House in Somerset is sympathetic to its historic roots

Baby, it's cold outside

Predicting the weather using folklore is not as lackadaisical as it might seem, says Lia Leendertz, as she reveals what we can look forward to this month

A fairy house

A stylish 1920s home brought the glamour of the theatre and Hollywood, as well as the most recent fashions of healthy living, to an incomparable Surrey setting, as Clive Aslet explains

Snow magic

At Dryad Nursery near York, botanical artist Anne Wright has been breeding some highly collectable snowdrops, writes Mary Keen

Let's hear it for Britain

There are many good reasons to be proud of this sceptred isle, from great thinkers via Shakespeare to the electric kettle. Carla Passino selects 50 of the best

The foul-mouthed Miller and the prim Prioress

The pre-eminent poet of the English language, celebrated for his trailblazing literary wizardry, Chaucer's time 'is, and has always been, here and now', finds Matthew Dennison

A kind of tree magic

When it comes to driving away witches or warding off evil, nothing beats the rowan tree, with its gleaming scarlet berries and pentagram markings. Aeneas Dennison walks into a forest of myths

The Generalists and the Twelfth of Never

An exclusive Christmas mystery story by bestselling crime-fiction author Sophie Hannah

What's the pointe?

Underpinning the mesmerisingly graceful, yet hugely powerful skill of dancing on pointe is a simple, often pale-pink satin slipper, hewn from fabric, paper and glue. Katy Birchall explores the evolution of the ballet shoe

The enigmatic altarpiece

The magnificent 15th-century Portinari Triptych in Florence is full of religious symbolism, but what particularly intrigues Charles Quest-Ritson is the meaning of the flowers in the foreground

Dignity and impudence

Our love of pets is so ingrained, it's unsurprising that we have treasured portraits of them since Landseer's day. Katy Birchall meets four artists keeping the memory of our best friends alive

On top of the mirey, merey moor

With the wet December sleet pelting down on his tweed cap, John Lewis-Stempel and his terriers ascend Chimney Bank on Spaunton Moor for a breath of cold, damp air and to survey James Herriot country

Sugar, spice and all things nice

Gingerbread in its many guises-from jauntily clad figures to enchanting fairy tale-inspired houses-has evolved from an aphrodisiac to a cornerstone of British festive culture, says Carla Passino

The peel-good factor

The presence and scent of citrus fruits have long put the zest into Christmas, whether candied, stuffed, studded with cloves, poached or even lauded in literature, says

Think outside the fox

In literature at least, the fox will come out on top in almost every brush with confrontation, finds Kate Green

Christmas conundrums

Even the most time-honoured festive traditions need to be reviewed once in a while. Giles Kime weighs up the major choices

It's a wonderful life

From bashing piñatas to banishing evil spirits with deep-fried doughballs, there's more to Christmas than turkey and stockings. Carla Passino goes around the world in 18 festive traditions

Peace be with you

AT Christmas time, our thoughts turn to the mystery of the Incarnation. That's the primary focus of Christians-or should be, although we all have other preoccupations.