CATEGORIES

The hills are alive

Three properties with ample space for entertaining prove that the best parties happen outside of London

Not to be sniffed at

Whatever its name–ramsons, gypsy’s onions, bear leek, snake’s food, stinking Jenny–wild garlic makes for a perfect (and pungent) vivid green pesto, eulogises Tom Parker Bowles

Third time's the charm

The cathedral at Llandaff was begun exactly 900 years ago. In the first of two articles, John Goodall looks at the history of this outstanding building before

Creative destruction

The felling of seven mature beech in the storms of 1987 offered the chance to make a rare and charming garden, says George Plumptre

Where shepherds watch

The striking, dark-grey Herdwick sheep, with its appealing white face and strong homing instinct, is integral to the culture and economy of the Lake District, but farmers feel their way of life is under threat. Tessa Waugh reports

A neo-Romantic and Modernist

Peyton Skipwith considers the work of John Piper (1903–92) and assesses the enduring quality of his romantic vision

Whiter shades of pale

Trying to choose a neutral? You’ll be presented with a sea of confusing choices. Amelia Thorpe asks leading colour experts for advice on plotting a course

A lover of the meadows and the woods

Forever burdened with his daffodils, Wordsworth still remains one of the great shapers of the English-speaking mind and a true champion of Nature 250 years on, says Adam Nicolson

England's Hidden Beauty

On April 23, COUNTRY LIFE and Charles Stanley will host tours of Arley Hall and Gardens, Cheshire, followed by afternoon tea

The boy that sings on Duncton Hill

One of our most accomplished writers of the early 20th century, Hilaire Belloc had a lifelong love affair with West Sussex. His words still echo in the hills 150 years after his birth, finds Jack Watkins

Light the touch paper

Arundel Castle, West Sussex Head gardener Martin Duncan and his team are setting the borders on fire with bold and innovative plantings, finds Tiffany Daneff

A pleasure for the birds

Owletts, Cobham, Kent A property of the National Trust Intensely proud of his Kent ancestry, Sir Herbert Baker restored this unpretentious family house. Clive Aslet revisits the unexpected home of one of Britain’s outstanding Imperial architects

The sound of music

If you want a change from Glyndebourne, Garsington and The Grange, but Glastonbury is not to your taste, try Europe’s best classical and opera festivals, suggests Carla Passino

What's the story, Georgian glory

A rare opportunity to own a townhouse on Bath’s famous Royal Crescent has arrived

Treasure island

Three spectacular new developments that make the most of their tropical setting are turning Antigua into the Caribbean’s most vibrant location, explains Holly Kirkwood

The king of long carrots

Steven Desmond meets Medwyn Williams, the man who knows more than anyone about growing and showing giant vegetables

The custom of the country

Purchasing a home abroad is the easy part. Mastering the lingo is harder, finds Cheryl Markosky, who is settling in to life on Nevis

Sailing into the sunset

Holly Kirkwood has the pick of boating hotspots along the Mediterranean

City of dreams

One visit is all it takes to fall in love with San Francisco, with its myriad districts each possessing a different character and appeal, says Octavia Pollock

Love and dedication can conquer all

Critics may disparage amateur theatre, but even the greatest actors had to start somewhere and the gap to the professional art isn’t as large as one might imagine

Thatch me if you can

When looking for a compact country home, the cottage is surely perfection

Show us your mussels

Undaunted by turbulent tides, these magnificent molluscs are delectable when served in pots with fries, but even better paired with Asian flavours, says Tom Parker Bowles

Changing places

The phrase moving house takes on a whole new meaning with these two properties in Surrey and Kent

A complete education

As one might expect from the founder of the English Gardening School, Rosemary Alexander’s garden is packed with the lessons learned from a lifetime in horticulture

Black magic

An enthralling new exhibition charts the astonishing range and versatility of the fin-de-siècle illustrator, says Matthew Sturgis

A timeless beauty

Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Antibes, France

A force of Nature

One family’s steadfast commitment to Nature means the privately run Elmley National Nature Reserve in Kent teems with wildlife, including the country’s largest lowland collection of breeding waders, finds Clive Aslet

A collector's home

An idyllic 17th-century house set between two branches of the River Itchen has been revived. John Goodall explores its remarkable history and the personalities who have shaped its character

The top 10

From beautiful buffet breakfasts to Italian bed linen, it’s the small things that count. Rosie Paterson selects her top hotels for honeymooners and explains why they stand out

The woodlanders

Hugh Nunn fell in love with trilliums and erythroniums in his twenties. Val Bourne looks back on a life devoted to breeding the finest forms of these extraordinary plants