CATEGORIES

From sea to shining sea

On the 200th anniversary of the opening of Thomas Telford’s Caledonian Canal, Mary Miers explores the greatest manmade marvel of the Highlands

Bring me my bow

Sir Walter Scott’s legacy lives on as The Queen’s Body Guard for Scotland, The Royal Company of Archers, celebrates its bicentenary on a joyful royal occasion. Jamie Blackett brushes off his uniform

Island escape

With a host of accommodation and sporting activities to suit everyone, from families to couples, the Benmore estate is a remote paradise full of natural wonders to explore

When the saints go marching in

With his heart set on ‘pilgrim-ing’ through the Highlands–one of Europe’s most beautiful landscapes–Joe Gibbs retraces St Columba’s footsteps to Iona, little knowing that a bout of norovirus is about to hinder his best-laid plans

Romance realised Ardfin estate, Isle of Jura, Argyll and Bute, part I

A Victorian shooting lodge has been stylishly recast as the heart of a modern estate. In the first of two articles, Clive Aslet reports on this remarkable project

The Lady of Shalott

SEVERAL years ago, the Royal Academy of Arts (RA) staged a major exhibition on J. W. Waterhouse—and what a feast for the eyes it was.

Scents and sensitivity

As he observes his cows on a warm August day, John Lewis-Stempel allows himself to be led by the nose and discovers that weather whiffing is no dark art, but proper science

Sir Frank Brangwyn – 'To decorate life'

An artistic polymath whose murals were revered around the world, Sir Frank Brangwyn ended his days as a recluse after a crushing rejection, reveals Matthew Dennison

The trumpet shall sound

The trumpeter on varying the tone and why music is as essential as food

Rooms with a view

If proof were needed. of the importance of breaking up the space and changing the pace with hedging and trees, this is surely it, believes Tiffany Daneff

Those gorgeous Georgians

Houses that prove the Georgian era's immense variety

Quiet places under the sun

A litany of talent has occupied these beautiful houses and estates, from the D'Oyly Cartes of Gilbert and Sullivan fame, to the actor Sir John Mills and 'Mr Men' and 'Little Miss' creator Roger Hargreaves

Is this the new rock and roll?

It's the latest trend in agriculture, but what does 'regenerative farming' actually mean? Sarah Langford explains why good old-fashioned farms are making a comeback

Cutting the mustard

It might look brown and raggedy before it's harvested, but a crop of white mustard seeds in Cambridgeshire is about to be turned into one of our hottest and best loved British condiments, as Harry Wallop reports

Of mice and men

Our mice, voles and shrews lead their lives mainly out of sight, yet they are incredibly abundant in almost every kind of habitat, with even the field vole alone outnumbering human beings, says Marianne Taylor

ENGLISH HOMES SOLD & NEW English Home part VIII 1760-1800

Each month of this 125th anniversary year, COUNTRY LIFE illustrates a period in the development of the English great house. In the eighth of this 12-part series, John Goodall looks at the age of Robert Adam

The magnificent seven

Holly Kirkwood discovers a selection of the most beautiful properties for sale across Guernsey

A joy to behold

Mary Miers retraces the history of Sausmarez Manor and marvels at the beauty of the house and its subtropical gardens.

Once on this island

From conger eels to witches with creaky joints, Carla Passino and Nicco Bargioni explore Guernsey's rich folkloric heritage

Provenance is all

Two items estimated in the hundreds make five-figure sums and we say a nostalgic goodbye to Edward Hudson's furniture

Let there be light

Orangeries, be they the old-fashioned kind for growing fruit or more modern ones barely distinguishable from conservatories, certainly can brighten a place up

My salad days

Obey the rules and there are few finer things than a salade Niçoise served in the shade of an old olive tree, believes Tom Parker Bowles

Awash with colour and inspiration

A visionary, painterly approach by a nurseryman gardener has resulted in an extraordinarily brilliant display, finds Mary Keen

Way out west

Two vast and important estates in the South-West have it all, from copious farmland and rental income, to clifftop views and near-private beaches

The rewards of restoration

Antique rugs and carpets add extraordinary character to interiors and, with care and attention, can be preserved for generations

Rediscovering the Boy King

In the 100 years since George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, stood alongside Howard Carter at the entrance to Tutankhamun's tomb, he has been demoted to a mere financier. Now, the current Earl and Countess want to give their forebear his time in the limelight, says Eleanor Doughty

We must restore local churches to local people

Parish churches may still be physically the centre of communities, but their redundancy as places of worship is becoming a national crisis. Simon Jenkins proffers solutions to the nation's greatest conservation challenge, including deconsecration and looking to European models

The beauty of materials

Tim Moulding of traditional builders R. Moulding & Co explains the relationship between good-quality, well-chosen materials and beautiful buildings

Just blame it on the weathervane

Once only made to resemble cockerels thanks to a papal decree, weathervanes now come in all shapes and sizes, from dolphins and fleurs-de-lys to gryphons and witches, finds Harry Pearson

A design of splendid convenience

In the second of two articles, John Goodall revisits this celebrated house and the story of its creation in the mid-18th century by the Earl of Leicester and his widow