CATEGORIES

Rare brilliance

Ven House, Milborne Port, Somerset The home of Mike Fisher and Charles Allen, the Lord Allen of Kensington There are few more beautiful houses in the South-West than Ven. But its formal gardens are in some ways even more remarkable, representing an extremely rare survival from the English Baroque. Christopher Stocks delves into their long and fascinating history

Hold the fort

Castles and castellated buildings have a fairy tale-like allure over some buyers-especially those from overseas or with a love of history

The hovercraft

YOU knew you were living in the age of the hovercraft when James Bond (Sean Connery), impersonating a jewel smuggler, boarded one to cross the English Channel in Diamonds Are Forever (1971). They even blasted out the thrilling 007 theme as the camera zoomed in on a hovercraft symbol above the Port of Dover entrance as if it was an exotic beast, then cut to the SR-N4 Princess Margaret surfing away from the white cliffs.

Join the club

Looks can be deceiving, as Eleanor Doughty discovers on a visit to the thoroughly modern Walbrook Club in the City of London

Who are you calling names?

From butterfly-friendly buddleia to decorative fuchsia, some of our most familiar shrubs owe their names to the friendship or admiration that linked botanists of the past.

Don't rain on my parade

Can we really control the weather? The implications are scary and complicated, but we should be researching the idea for use in a responsible way

Breaking fresh ground

As he toils behind his rotavator on a March morning, John Lewis-Stempel breathes in the heady scent of turned soil and is cheered by the repetitive call of the chiffchaff that heralds the arrival of spring Illustration by Michael Frith

Regal splendour and renewal

Windsor Castle, Berkshire An official residence of His Majesty King Charles III As the new reign begins, John Martin Robinson takes an exclusive look at the recently completed representation of the State Apartments at Windsor Castle

A charter for second homes

The demand for second homes has intensified in recent years and, in some areas, has provoked intense resentment, as well as punitive taxation. Simon Jenkins considers the positive contribution second homers can make and proposes a charter to clarify their responsibilities

Women at war

In the historical context of the First World War, entrenched traditionalism, separate spheres ideology, patriarchy and, to some extent, Imperialism all contributed to the argument against using women in wartime British intelligence,’ writes Sarah-Louise Miller.

A prince of painters

Cosmopolitan, enigmatic and passionate about early Italian Masters, Frederic, Lord Leighton, shaped 19th-century British art and should be better remembered for his technically excellent, opulent work, laments Jack Watkins

The woman who had it all

A rare female presence in an art world dominated by men, Berthe Morisot could have faced solitude or even catastrophe, but rose to become one of France's leading Impressionists, as Caroline Bugler discovers

More tea, vicar?

Old rectories and vicarages hold an enduring appeal for country-house buyers

Holey moley!

Fêted in literature and as reviled in myth as it can sometimes be in real life, the mole is the mammal equivalent of Marmite, says Harry Pearson, as he tunnels into the subterranean world of the 'gentleman in velvet'

Reforming splendour

The Reform Club, Pall Mall SW1 An attempt to unify the Radical and Whig interests as a coherent political force prompted work to what aimed to be the most magnificent club in London, as John Goodall discovers

Blossoming ideas

There's crab-apple jelly, of course, but ornamental apple trees offer so much more: they're easy to grow, have beautiful flowers that last longer than those on Japanese cherries and there's one to suit every garden, says Charles Quest-Ritson

The sweetest thing

The garden at Danesmoate, Dublin, Ireland The home of Mr Adam Clayton Taking on a historic estate with 17 acres of gardens and landscape at the age of 28 is no mean feat, but Adam Clayton had the vision to plant thousands of trees and shrubs, restoring vistas and bringing back life and colour to this beautiful river valley, writes Jane Powers

Old McDubois had a farm

Harry Pearson explores the indigenous breeds of France and explains why they are worthy of English envy

Land of opera and glory

From the small village of Le Roncole to the bustling metropolis of Milan, Claire Jackson explores Verdi’s Italy

Cradle of the Arts

From Paris to the Balearics, Holly Black traces the footsteps of Picasso and Miró

Spring into action

IT’S easy to see why the term ‘spring fever’ came into being. Those fine, clear days in the first half of February when the sun shone and warmed our backs, reminding us of the inexorable change in the seasons.

Marvels of the moor

Set in a steep valley just below Dartmoor, these romantic woodland gardens are filled with exotic trees and flowering shrubs, many of historic importance, writes Caroline Donald

The real thing

These delightful countryside properties offer the best of pastoral England, all for less than £1 million

Not so quiet on the western front

A trio of houses in Wiltshire, Somerset and Devon set the market going this spring in the West Country

Starting from scratch

Building a house requires everything from planning to patience, says Arabella Youens

The real drive of his life

Never one to idle time away, Sir Henry Royce-co-founder of Rolls-Roycespent his spare moments working on a farm bought through the pages of COUNTRY LIFE, reveals Russell Higham

Raising the flag

From the good old Union Jack to a personal banner depicting your own design, there are countless ways of setting your flag pole aflutter, but be sure to avoid flag cushions at all costs, cautions John F. Mueller

The healing power of honey

Bees are vital for life on earth and, for the past 30 years, a British charity has been helping some of the world's poorest people to become self-sufficient through beekeeping, finds Agnes Stamp

Native breeds Buff Orpington

THE Buff Orpington is one of the matrons of the poultry world, irresistibly rounded and solid looking—the breed standard describes its build as ‘cobby’—and a distinctive, warm honey colour.

Small is beautiful

An 1830s schoolhouse has been reworked to create a perfect smaller country house. John Martin Robinson admires the skill of the craftsmanship and the character of the building