CATEGORIES
The sound of spring
Carla Passino follows chirruping birds, croaking frogs and rushing waterfalls to enjoy the new season across Europe
The protector of cherry trees
Val Bourne tells the extraordinary story of the creation by a Japanese schoolteacher of a new race of flowering cherries, which is now available in this country
Rhododendron heaven
The garden at Ramster, near Chiddingfold, Surrey The home of Mr and Mrs Paul Gunn and Mr and Mrs Malcolm Glaister In its centenary year, Ramster’s reputation continues to grow–together with its magnificent woodland garden, reveals Charles Quest-Ritson
For he's a jolly good Fell
A royal favourite, the hardy and hairy little Fell pony can pull a sledge, emerge alive after weeks in a snowdrift and win hearts with a glance. Julie Harding celebrates the breed society’s 100th anniversary
The sound of spring
March’s spring equinox is invariably optimistic, as winter likes to cling on, says John Lewis-Stempel, but the toads and the rooks are busy making breeding plans
The narcissi you cannot do without
DAFFODILS glaring from verges and parks are not among my favourite flowers. The brashest of the large gold trumpets bears the name of King Alfred, yet he was, by all accounts, a modest and thoughtful man.
English Home part III Early Tudor 1485–1560
Each month of this 125th anniversary year, COUNTRY LIFE illustrates a period in the development of the English great house, from the Middle Ages to the present day. In the third of this 12-part series, John Goodall looks at the architecture of the Tudor home
My Family and Other Animals
Britain’s greatest masterpieces
Dedicated follower of fashion
Be it fur-lined robes, tailored suits, woollen flat caps or clean-shaven jaws, men’s clothes and bodies have been subjected to the dictates of shifting tastes throughout history, reflects Matthew Dennison
Let it fly
At the start of the new fly-fishing season, our correspondent confesses to being a ‘possibilitarian’, who fishes as often as he can wherever fish are to be found
Bath time
The launch of two striking period houses bring further appeal to the Regency city
Take a deep breath
IF' apple pie without the cheese is like a kiss without a squeeze then a garden replete with form and colour, but devoid of fragrance, is only half the garden it should be.
Agricultural improvement
Georgian farmhouses are an easily overlooked architectural marvel of Britain's agricultural revolution in the 18th century. John Martin Robinson reveals the interest and importance of these buildings
Rooms with a view
You only need to explore Britain's historic houses to appreciate the benefits of a beautiful setting. Jeremy Spencer of Janine Stone shares the secret to making the most of an often overlooked asset with COUNTRY LIFE'S Executive Editor, Giles Kime
Castles on the hill
Not always found on hills and not necessarily forts, our thousands of ancient hill forts contain sacrificial burial grounds, buried treasures and a certain strange magic
Calf love and birthing pains
The calm of the calving shed belies the turbulence of the world outside
South
SIR ERNEST SHACKLETON called his Endurance expedition of 1914, which aimed to cross the entire Antarctic continent, 'the last great polar journey that can be made.
The time of my life
Sociable souls tell Eleanor Doughty the secret of a memorable party
The new black tie
Standard-issue black tie might still fit the bill for awards dinners and rugby-club shindigs, but, elsewhere, a new generation of men is becoming more creative when it comes to dressing up
Turn up the heat
Furniture, cabinetry and accessories to spice up your kitchen, selected
To boldly go where no man has gone before
Whether attempting to conquer Everest wearing pullovers or de-icing the engines of a moving plane with a knife, we've long tested human endurance to the limit
LONDON'S PLEASANT PASTURES
From evidence of prehistoric life in Greenwich Park to Shire horses in Richmond Park, there’s more to London’s Royal Parks than meets the eye, says natural-history film maker Peter Collins
The circus rolls on
After an appalling winter in Australia, England set themselves up to fail against an ordinary West Indies, says James Fishe
Go west, young man
Three county houses in and around Dartmoor are ideal for the influx of buyers, now able to avoid a daily commute, seeking a dose of the wild West Country
The scent of spring
New varieties of our little native violet are helping to bring this Victorian favourite back into the garden, says John Hoyland
One tuber to rule them all
Accused of inflaming passions, encouraging flatulence and generally being a bore, life without the humble yet delicious potato is unthinkable, swears Tom Parker Bowles
No going back
By the time the monarchy was restored in 1660, the ravages of the Civil War had wrought so much damage on our mighty oaks and imposing castles that the landscape had changed forever, says Anna Keay
Desert Island Discs
Britain’s greatest masterpieces
A fresh look at the 1980s
Later this month, COUNTRY LIFE will explore the interior decoration of a misunderstood decade
Always eat your greens
Much maligned thanks to the malodorous green sludge served up at school dinners, cabbage should be celebrated for its versatility and enjoyed steamed, then slathered in butter, says Tom Parker Bowles