CATEGORIES
Another string to the bow
For British luthier Roger Hansell, a chance teenage encounter led to a lifetime devoted to making the perfect violin, discovers Harry Pearson
Bury me in a willow-shaped coffin
In the osier beds of Worcestershire and Somerset, the wind is still playing in the willows destined for baskets, 'fedging' and custom-made coffins, finds Jane Wheatley
Mud-gilded places
Part water, part earth and a habitat of constant movement, the bleak and desolate estuary environment is an acquired taste. Yet this monochrome minimalism can be paradise, finds John Lewis-Stempel
Handsome and genteel - Mount Vernon, Virginia, US, part II A property in the care of Mount Vernon Ladies' Association
In the second of two articles, Jeremy Musson reports on the recent campaign to restore the memorable interiors of George and Martha Washington's country home
Love in a dry climate
Garden design in the Arizona desert is a matter of adapting to the weather and the terrain and being clever with cacti. The spectacular results fill Kendra Wilson with awe
The spread of Johnny Appleseed
DRIVE along a country lane at this time of the year and you may see an apple tree growing out of the hedgerow.
All that meat and no potatoes
More than merely super-sized burgers and fries, American food is a mouthwatering reflection of the nation's cultural diversity
A Newport state of mind
Once proclaimed to be the original American art form, jazz continues to thrive at the eponymous jazz festival of Rhode Island
Route to the past
Does the world's most famous road still capture the romance of the open road? We brave 1,300 miles of Route 66 to find out
Steady as she goes
Fairy-tale palaces that float upon the sea first appeared in the Edwardian era. A century later, the majestic ocean liners of the 'golden age of travel' continue to captivate
The new Colossus
Standing proud at the 'sea-washed, sunset gates', Lady Liberty became a beacon of hope for immigrants and a symbol of freedom under just and democratic law
The time is now
Agents at Strutt & Parker's Country House Department share their tips to selling your property as they look forward to a busy autumn
The West awakes
All is abuzz in the West Country following a recent surge of activity in the market for large farms and country houses in some of the region's most picturesque locations
Bags of class
Combining classical elegance with distinctive detailing, Lalage Beaumont is passionate about creating bags of exceptional style and quality.
Sparkle of genius
Historic jewellery firm Hancocks, now in its new St James's home, specialises in old-cut diamond pieces that gleam and turn heads even in low light
Singing the end-ofsummertime blues
As September bids a melancholic farewell, John LewisStempel looks to the transformative power of Nature and our agricultural rites and rituals to stave off his regret at summer's passing for another year
Playing fast and loose
Buoyant and brazen, the hard-riding, tough-talking and gun-toting highwaywomen of the 17th and 18th centuries struck fear and awe into the hearts of the nation
Life on the hedge
The modern hedgelayer's role is no longer that of a fencer, but instead a practical conservationist creating vibrant, thorny arteries of hedgerow habitat
Navigating nostalgia
Once the bustling arteries of the Industrial Revolution, today's British canals are places of tranquillity, joy and community, says Joseph Phelan, as he explores their timeless appeal.
'A well-resorted tavern' - Mount Vernon, Virginia, US, part I A property in the care of Mount Vernon Ladies' Association
In the first of two articles, Jeremy Musson looks at the remarkable history and preservation of the country home of America's first president
Happiness in small things
Putting life into perspective and forces of nature in farming
Colour vision
In an eye-baffling arrangement of geometric shapes, a sinister-looking clown and a little girl, Test Card F is one of television’s most enduring images, says Rob Crossan
'Without fever there is no creation'
Three of the top 10 operas performed worldwide are by the emotionally volatile Italian composer Giacomo Puccini, who died a century ago. Henrietta Bredin explains how his colourful life influenced his melodramatic plot lines
The colour revolution
Toxic, dull or fast-fading pigments had long made it tricky for artists to paint verdant scenes, but the 19th century ushered in a viridescent explosion of waterlili
Bullace for you
The distinction between plums, damsons and bullaces is sweetly subtle, boiling down to flavour and aesthetics, but don’t eat the stones, warns John Wright
Lights, camera, action!
Three remarkable country houses, two of which have links to the film industry, the other the setting for a top-class croquet tournament, are anything but ordinary
I was on fire for you, where did you go?
In Iceland, a land with no monks or monkeys, our correspondent attempts to master the art of fishing light’ for Salmo salar, by stroking the creases and dimples of the Midfjardara river like the features of a loved one
Bravery bevond belief
A teenager on his gap year who saved a boy and his father from being savaged by a crocodile is one of a host of heroic acts celebrated in a book to mark the 250th anniversary of the Royal Humane Society, says its author Rupert Uloth
Let's get to the bottom of this
Discovering a well on your property can be viewed as a blessing or a curse, but all's well that ends well, says Deborah Nicholls-Lee, as she examines the benefits of a personal water supply
Sing on, sweet bird
An essential component of our emotional relationship with the landscape, the mellifluous song of a thrush shapes the very foundation of human happiness, notes Mark Cocker, as he takes a closer look at this diverse family of birds