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Fool me once

A fat green blob wearing a three-day growth of stubble, sexy it is not, et the gooseberry adds a welcome sharpness to jellies, jams and a simple fool,

How to be a human squirrel

Pickling and preserving is a great way to extend the shelf life of seasonal produce, says John Wright, who shares some of his top tips and ideas

Ramblers retreat

IN the village where I grew up, all the cottages grew the same pink rambling rose against their walls. Blowsy, prickly and very sweet scented, my grandmother told me that its name was ‘Albertine’, a Wichurana Rambler introduced in France in 1921, the year my father was born.

Romancing the garden

Stopping spraying and allowing plants to self-seed was the first step in the gradual and brilliant reinvention of the walled garden at Serge Hill,

The heat is on

Lucy Denton investigates how heat pumps can help our heritage buildings in the move to a more sustainable future

To the manor reborn

A charming Tudor house in Dorset comes to the market for the first time in almost three centuries

Better than new

Sustainability relies on creating furniture and appliances that can be fixed–and the skills to do so,

The land of raw milk and honey

Raw milk has been vilified in the press and by food agencies and competitor industries for decades, but its superior taste and health benefits demand we take a second look,

Farming for the future

Food security and land management are two of the most pressing issues facing the UK today, but the way forward isn’t simple. Here, nine guardians of the land outline what they think the next step should be

Changing tides

North Devon recently became the UK’s first official World Surfing Reserve and its upgraded status is shining a much-needed light on how much more the sport has to offer beyond riding waves,

Powered by the wind

Turbines are becoming a familiar feature of the landscape. John Goodall looks at their operation, form and future through the example of the largest onshore wind farm in the UK

A golden oldie

THERE has been a big birthday in the household.

God's country

As authors rewrite the exploits of Greek mythology’s gods and heroes for a modern-day audience, Rosie Paterson goes in search of the key characters in the Cyclades

The elixir of youth

A string of islands in the South China Sea might just hold the secret to a long and healthy life. Luke Abrahams made the journey to find out what it involves

For whom the harebell tolls

Frail and delicate, this graceful blue flower alarmed our superstitious ancestors for centuries until it became a symbol of love, innocence and humility

The end of the line?

There are shocking plans afoot to modernise Liverpool Street Station, but it’s not the first of London’s historic Victorian stations to come under attack, says Jack Watkins, as he takes a look at some of the ones saved and those that were less fortunate

The Adam family

The king of classical motifs, Robert Adam festooned late-18th-century London with exquisite plasterwork, fluted columns and fanciful pilasters, but, in his drive to succeed, he nearly lost it all

Treasures of the east

A Whig power house is only one of the many jewels in East Anglia

The pride of the peacock

Graceful peafowl have never been shy about coming forward, although most of us admire the males’ flamboyant tail feathers–long a vibrant and striking motif–far more than their grating cries,

Reduced to splendour

Audley End, Essex A property in the care of English Heritage Built to attract a visit by James I, this hugely ambitious house has been massively reduced and yet remains both outstanding and magnificent.

A breath of fresh air

Amid the sweet chestnuts, walnuts and cobnuts of a Suffolk farm, a natural amphitheatre has been transformed into a glorious sylvan venue for touring companies to tread Nature’s boards

Sugar and spice

I FIRST grew sweet cicely (Myrrhis odorata) thanks to my father-in-law: one mention that I’d recently read about it had him trowel in hand, lifting multiple self-seeded plants into pots of varying size for me to lighten his burden. I introduced him to the joys of sweet cicely gin a few months later and he’s regretted thinning his supply ever since.

Family treasures

Tilly Ware meets Lucy Skellorn, great-great-grand-daughter of the pre-eminent iris breeder Sir Michael Foster, at her garden near Stowmarket, where her quest to find the original Foster hybrids has already created a National Collection

London Life

Your indispensable guide to the capital

For king and county

A land of open skies, high-piping oystercatchers and ancient churches, Norfolk has long been associated with Britain’s monarchs. Nick Trend discovers what gives it crown appeal

A brush with plants

This month, the botanical artist Emma Tennant celebrates her 80th birthday–and 75 years of gardening and painting. Steven Desmond eagerly anticipates her forthcoming exhibition

Our very own super savannah

‘WHEN I pay for a view, I expect something more interesting than that,’ says Mrs Richards. ‘Well may I ask what you expected to see out of a Torquay hotel bedroom window?’ replies Basil Fawlty.

Fury at ban

A BAN on the use of snares in Wales is likely to become law after a vote in the Senedd backed criminalising their use. The wire devices, which are principally used by gamekeepers and farmers, are designed to control predator numbers in an effort to protect lambs, gamebirds and other vulnerable wildlife. Those in favour of the ban say that the traps are cruel and indiscriminate, while those against say the ban will lead to a rise in fox numbers, which would have significant adverse effects on threatened species such as curlew.

A home at last

JOY BAKER and her late husband, John, spent 25 years amassing a collection of work by the Soper family of artists, which now amounts to more than 700 prints, watercolours, porcelain figures and memorabilia.

Follow the coastal code

ENGLAND’S first-ever national Marine and Coastal Wildlife Code was launched last week, offering advice and guidance to help people visit the coast ‘responsibly’.