The hills are alive

Remote working has a whole other meaning for those passionate individuals still farming crofts in the Highlands, discovers Joe Gibbs

History in the making

A fine country estate hits the market for the first time in 350 years, while a hall is rebuilt from the ground up

Meandering paths of green

Mermaid, palmetto, celadon, viridian and mintleaf: Steven Lovatt gets lost on a pleasurable wander through Nature, language and many shades of green

Arboreal ambitions

Caroline Donald visits the ancestral home of Clan Donald, Armadale Castle on the Isle of Skye, where the gardens are once again in safe hands and the historic trees will be given a boost with the planting of a new arboretum of endangered conifers

Ready, Set, Dive

Outdoor swimming is the lockdown trend that is here to stay. Rosie Paterson takes a closer look at some of her favourite London ponds and pools

The Flower With The Heart Of A Lion

Whether carpeting verges in a blaze of golden yellow or inviting us to puff its globular seed heads into the breeze, the humble dandelion is indomitablen and ubiquitous, says Vicky Liddell

Sail away with me

Our remaining windmills are unashamedly romantic slices of old England. Last spring, those still working went into overdrive to meet local demand for flour, reports Eleanor Doughty

Ode to our wastelands

Losing small patches of scrubby land to new houses might not seem significant, but these little Edens are vital for Nature, contends Mary Colwell

The taste of a mermaid's kiss

Once viewed as a lowly substitute, salt-loving marsh samphire is back in favour in our gardens and on our plates, says Julia Platt Leonard

With fens like these..

Cambridgeshire and Norfolk have a rich history not only in agriculture and ecology, but homes, too

On the edge - Interview Jake Fiennes

Holkham’s director of conservation on changing farming to feed us and protect wildlife

Interiors The designer's room

By introducing curves, Irene Gunter fitted a bath and a double shower into this London townhouse

Celebrating the charm of the evening chorus

Although not as intense as their dawn serenade, our birds’ evensong offers a ‘jazzier’ performance, especially in April when there are no leaves to soften the sweet sound, says John Lewis-Stempel

Henry Williamson by Edward Seago

My favourite painting David Profumo

Heritage reinstated

The grand estates and houses of East Anglia have been brought back to life in recent years

Architecture for education

To mark the 150th anniversary of the foundation of Newnham College and the arrival of women scholars in Cambridge, Kathryn Ferry examines the distinctive style of the college buildings

The not so wild west

West Chelsea–the area between Cremorne Road and Sydney Street–is where the fortunes of this famous and much-loved area began, finds Carla Passino

Testament to taste

Quality and quirk will out, as is evident from the contents sales of a widow of the Ford motor dynasty

Sweet child of mine

It took centuries for the ringleted baby Jesus and diminutive royal ‘adult’ to give way to images of the mirth and mischief of childhood on canvas, says Matthew Dennison

A very English home run

It may seem as probable as a game of cricket in the Bronx, but the Cotswold town of Chipping Norton was once the unlikely home of British baseball, reveals Ben Lerwill

Field of dreams

Big bold planting by the founding fathers of the New American Style meets 1820s Bath. Non-Morris visits the American Museum, home of the first garden in this country to have been completed by Oehme, van Sweden

Cotswold classics

Hidden in the rolling hills of this AONB are some of the finest country houses around

A castle rediscovered: Ham Court, Oxfordshire The home of Matthew Rice

An ambitious castle in the Cotswolds area languished in obscurity after it was left unfinished in the early 14th century. Edward Impey investigates the remarkable story of this building and its recent revival

Easter, But Not As We Know It

What a peculiar Easter! Six of us eating outside, whatever the weather, ensconced under a gazebo pressed into service against the rain, with a brazier blazing beside it. The simplest of menus, but the huge joy of once again eating with others—a powerful reminder of the importance of sitting around a table and being with friends and family.

Lost in the maze

THE world’s largest classical labyrinth is currently being constructed from traditional Cornish hedging in the heart of Bodmin Moor, a project that has unexpectedly led to the foundation of the Outdoor University of Cornish Hedging.

It takes a family to raise a village

A hangover from the days of landed gentry, there are still privately owned villages scattered throughout the UK. What is it really like to be at the helm of a community, asks Alec Marsh

My favourite painting Neil Mendoza

The Painter and his Pug

Nice wheels

SIXTY years ago almost to the day, on March 15, when the Jaguar E-type first hit the tarmac, Frank Sinatra took one look and said ‘I want that car and I want it now’; shortly after, Enzo Ferrari dubbed it ‘the most beautiful car in the world’.

Myth and magic

Two homes in Devon offer unique insights into the county’s complex history, from witches and hounds to the village where time stood still

Black (and white) beauty

March is the month in which female hares bat away unwanted suitors, but, sadly, the sight of boxing hares is becoming ever more rare. Over the past century, a loss of habitat and predation has resulted in an 80% decrease in brown-hare numbers. Cumbrian sculptor Andrew Kay has created this 5ft-high artwork in steel, priced at £4,700, 15% of which will go to the Hare Preservation Trust. A smaller work, Life Size Hare, costs £840 (www.andrewkaysculpture.co.uk)