CATEGORIES

For whom the fairy bells toll

Sometimes unfairly dismissed as ugly, edible wood sorrel, once known as fairy bells, is not only blessed with pretty white flowers, it’s also capable of predicting rain, says John Wright

The world's my oyster

On the 150th anniversary of the death of British explorer David Livingstone, Ben Lerwill asks why intrepid British men and women have long been–and still are–fond of venturing to the farthest corners of the globe

Tell me when the whistle blows

As Elton John’s Rocket Records celebrates its 50th anniversary, Steve Sutherland remembers the very boozy launch party, held in the unlikely, but charming Cotswolds setting of Moreton-in-Marsh

A nursery of inventions

7, Park Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire | A Cotswold townhouse echoes the remarkable career of its restorer and creator, Rory Young. Alan Powers reflects on his influence and enthusiasms as embodied here

'What makes me happy is a project'

The nonagenarian writer on a brush with the Almighty and Harold Pinter as critic

All's wool that ends wool

From warm cloaks for the Roman army to many handsome churches, much of England’s might and wealth once rested on the back of the Cotswold sheep’s ‘golden fleece’, says Charles Harris

My heart is in the Highlands

Edwin Landseer’s visit to the Duchess of Bedford’s retreat in Badenoch sparked a passion for the Highlands that led to his best work and created a romantic vision of Scotland, finds Mary Miers

Unexpected baggage

THE definition of a guilt trip, courtesy of that great knower-of-all-things, Mr Google, is intentionally to manipulate another person to feel guilty about something they may (or may not) have done. But what about the guilt trip that is 100% your own fault and involves overseas travel?

Best of British

From Scotland to Cornwall, Britain’s bounds are bursting with new hotel openings. Friends of COUNTRY LIFE wax lyrical about some of their favourites

Ready when you are

WE gardeners are used to taking every measure available to us when sowing seeds. We study the back of seed packets, listen to the weather forecast, check a phone app, stare at the sky; tea leaves may even be read in the search for optimal sowing.

Who will wear the Badminton crown?

Badminton Horse Trials, which takes place on the weekend of the coronation, has long been associated with the Royal Family. Kate Green previews this year’s special event

Conquering the goddess of the sky

Seventy years ago, on the eve of the Queen’s coronation, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of Everest. Octavia Pollock considers the legacy of their achievement and what it meant for British mountaineering

New farmers on the medieval block

The ancient strip-farming methods pioneered in the Middle Ages are alive and kicking–and as effective as ever–in the north Nottinghamshire village of Laxton, as Ivo Dawnay discovers

Toast with a corona

Bolivar thinks the perfect way to celebrate a coronation is with a fine cigar

Fit for a king

Short of acquiring a royal palace, there is ‘nothing of this grandeur or provenance so close to central London’

Marks of distinction

The garden at Tichborne House, Tichborne, Hampshire The home of Mrs Anthony Loudon | Contemporary hedging and naturalistic planting echo the ancient field patterns and hedgerows in the brilliant remaking of this historic garden, says Tiffany Daneff

A lake for all seasons

Lake Como has been a popular summer-holiday destination since antiquity, but it’s increasingly worth holding off for autumn, when the crowds disappear and foraging begins, says Rosie Paterson

The king of collections

The Royal Collection, a record of our monarchs’ personal tastes over 500 years, is one of the last great European assemblages to remain intact, says Huon Mallalieu

A weekend to remember

You’ve already seen Big Ben and the Natural History Museum–so what next? Jo Rodgers describes her dream long weekend in London

The Regency reinvented

Great House, Dedham, Essex The home of Michael and Lucy Archer | In the first major work of his career, the architect Raymond Erith subtly transformed the Regency idiom to create a design poised between past and present, as Alan Powers explains

Kind hearts and coronets

Although many won’t be taking part in this year’s coronation, dukes and duchesses have hitherto played important roles, now reflected in a series of exhibitions, finds Eleanor Doughty

As fresh as a daisy

As he sets out to look for wandering sheep on a bright April morning, the sight of abundant sticky cleavers, golden dandelions and a galaxy of daisies transports John Lewis-Stempel back to the country games of his childhood

All creatures great and small

The story of St Francis of Assisi has captured the imagination of artists, musicians and poets for 800 years. Mary Miers discovers that the saint who befriended animals was also a radical reformer, whose teachings have a timely relevance

Fit for a king

With pioneering housing projects, both at his own home and on the Duchy estate, The King has led the way in creating a sustainable, Nature friendly built environment

Shrimply the best

Scampi evokes easy pasta dishes or deep-fried pub grub, but call them langoustines and you have a dish fit for a king–or, indeed, The King, says Tom Parker Bowles

Time for a clear out

I HAVE a whole drawer full of odd socks in the bedroom. But why? It’s not as if their partners are suddenly going to dance out from behind the washing machine for a joyous reunion.

If the ceremonial hat fits

Known as ‘Jane the Hat’, milliner Jane Smith has been dressing some of our most famous actors’ heads since the late 1960s and her creations are about to take centre stage at the coronation, finds Simon Fenwick

The King and I

George VI’s coronation was lavish, with sparkling diamond coronets, clergy wrapped in spectacular copes, foreign notables in pearl-encrusted caps and the young King and Queen in their gleaming crowns, as Dorothy Maltby’s record reveals

It shouldn't happen at a coronation

Things don’t always go to plan at a coronation, from stumbling peers to muddled clergy, dripping candles and even earthquakes, reveals Carla Passino

'She's the best listener in the world'

Whether she’s highlighting domestic abuse, championing literacy, dining with pensioners or quietly supporting her husband, our new Queen is excelling in her royal role, says Jane Wheatley