CATEGORIES
Nature and food– how to have it all
Caring for the natural environment and food production are not binary activities, says Jamie Blackett, who presents the findings of his research on a thorny subject, the current ‘rewilding’ zeitgeist
International velvet
First woven in Damascus in the late 7th century, sumptuously sensual velvet has long been a trapping of prestige, indulgence and luxury, says Michael Montagu
High art, low behaviour
Works from a roguish 18th-century MP’s Dorset estate far exceed expectations at Lawrences of Crewkerne
Candles in the wind
Eremurus, also known as desert candles and foxtail lilies, make a wonderful show and are easy to grow if you give them the right conditions, says John Hoyland
Beauty needs vigilance
The Chilterns retains a gentle charm, despite the proximity of motorways and HS2
Who is Maris Piper?
If you ever wondered exactly why those potatoes are called Maris Piper and how Aston Martin came by its ‘DB’ model prefix, Eleanor Doughty has all the answers
There's gold in them there hills
From Scottish kings to political protest, there’s more to Muswell Hill than its height, finds Carla Passino
The Thirty-Nine Steps
Britain’s greatest masterpieces
The little master
One-hundred-and-fifty years after the painter’s birth, Jack Watkins considers the artistic endeavours of Sir William Nicholson, best known as the father of abstract artist Ben Nicholson, but whose work displays a satisfying warmth, mastery of technique and an old-school, painterly finish
Take the inside out
Outdoor fireplaces are an increasingly popular way to cosy up your garden. Eleanor Doughty gets to the hearth of the matter
Pride of place
Two country houses with a fascinating history and beautiful surroundings have flourished after careful restoration by their current owners
Fancy is as fancy does
Originally known as ‘pudels’ or ‘puddles’, curly-coated standard poodles were first bred in Germany to retrieve game from water and, as Matthew Dennison discovers, some still cut a typically stylish dash in the field
Creating the Cambridge college
In the first of two articles, John Goodall looks at the early history of the college that helped defined the tradition of academic architecture in Cambridge
HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT
Many will have wondered what lies behind the huge windows of the Victorian-era studios on one of London’s busiest roads. Rosie Paterson takes a peek
Blooming lovely
Seize the moment to plant a lilac–the scent of their generous flowers is more than enough reason why every garden should have one or, ideally, several, believes Charles Quest-Ritson
Under the Tuscan sun
In contrast with the arid landscape of the Val d’Orcia, the exuberant gardens created by Cecil Pinsent for the writer Iris Origo at La Foce, Tuscany, Italy, are all the more astonishing
The main attraction
The Greek islands have been a go-to holiday destination for decades, but what about the mythical and sometimes misunderstood mainland?
Plaster of paradise
Recent restoration and revival offers the perfect opportunity for a reappraisal of this house and its magnificent plasterwork interiors.
Through the looking glass
On a bleak January day, John Lewis-Stempel boards a train from London to Herefordshire and admires the wealth of wildlife on view through the carriage window
The women shaping a new countryside
Throughout history, formidable women such as Cleopatra and Lady Eve Balfour did much to nurture the land. Camilla Akers-Douglas talks to four present-day matriarchs who are helping to boost the rural economy in very different ways
Over the Moon
A Tintin drawing makes a record in Paris and a not-too frightening Bacon will be at the Royal Academy
Not such a Scilly idea
Beloved by The Prince of Wales, who shares his Scottish home with them, and thriving on Tresco and Arran–where they supposedly arrived in a laundry basket–red squirrels have a particular penchant for island life
The designer's room
Interior designer Sarah Fortescue has transformed the drawing room of a house on her family’s Cornish estate with colour and pattern
Everybody say cheese
The millennia-long tradition of cheesemaking in Britain and Ireland, having weathered many storms, is as vigorous as ever thanks to the great cheese renaissance. Ned Palmer takes a dairy-driven tour
In search of beauty
A publisher, innovator and shrewd businessman with strong connections to the Liberal political establishment, Edward Hudson was the visionary founder of COUNTRY LIFE 125 years ago. Clive Aslet revisits his remarkable life
The architectural conscience of the nation
Michael Hall, a former Architectural Editor and Deputy Editor of COUNTRY LIFE, looks back at the magazine’s formation of its architectural coverage from 1897 to 1939
The late blooming of a ‘saintly clergyman'
After a lifetime of quietly sketching wildflowers, parish priest William Keble Martin finally published the book every schoolboy wanted, says Matthew Dennison
White magic
Nowhere else can gardeners see rare named snowdrops growing in such measureless drifts as in the Rothschilds’ private garden at Eythrope in Buckinghamshire, finds Mary Keen
Loved back to life
Fulbeck House, Lincolnshire The home of Claire Van Cleave. This little-known house of about 1700 has been the subject of tactful restoration for a period of more than 20 years. Jeremy Musson looks at its fascinating history
The Queen's lost library
New research offers fresh insight into the splendid interiors of Queen Caroline’s library, a compact building by William Kent that once overlooked London’s Green Park, reveals Rufus Bird