CATEGORIES

Holy mackerel!

Using a sprat to catch a mackerel– sleek, muscular beauties, much prized for being tasty, cheap, ecologically sound and packed with goodness–is easy for even self-confessed hapless fisherman Tom Parker Bowles

Who do ewe think you are?

Condemned as dimwits, could ovines really be the brainiacs of the barnyard, capable of fear, boredom, happiness band identifying Fiona Bruce? John Lewis-Stempel delves into the secret life of sheep

The sweetness of Nature

He grew up with Tarka the Otter and has spent a lifetime immersed in the natural world, determined to share his love and insight. Terry Timblick meets the octogenarian naturalist and writer Richard Williamson

The sky's the limit

The ancient Greeks knew what this summer’s grateful theatre-goers are rediscovering, that outdoor settings can create all sorts of imaginative possibilities

Something in the air

The Gardens of Monteviot, Jedburgh James Truscott is entranced by a series of new gardens that successfully captures the magic of growing up in a place rich in history and legend

Inside the other No 10

For a century, Chatham House has been a bastion of independent intellectual and political debate, guaranteeing speakers freedom from distortion by the press. Clive Aslet reports

Halls of power

Three halls, in Northumberland, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire, paint a rich tapestry of England’s past

Fresh as a daisy

Provenance matters–and not only for food. Throughout the countryside, estates are turning to cut flowers to satisfy the appetite for homegrown bouquets, discovers Natasha Goodfellow

An imperial cottage

Farnborough Hill, Hampshire The property of the Farnborough Hill Trust The Empress Eugénie of France died in exile 100 years ago in July 1920. In the first of two articles, Anthony Geraghty looks at the house she adapted as the final seat of the French Second Empire

They'll Be Coming Down The Mountain

The feral goats of Llandudno hit the news recently for munching on hedges and sunbathing in the churchyard, but our caprine army is good for a lot more than taking the internet by storm, discovers Vicky Liddell

Juicy fruits

THE first homegrown peach I ever ate remains as clear in my mind as the day I ate it. Every time I eat one from the shops, I think of it; it’s like looking at a photo of the one you love when they are elsewhere.

Where the wild things are

The birds and the bees, and everything in between, are of the utmost importance for these two magnificent estates

The end of the end

Even rural corners of England were affected by the Second World War. Ian Morton recalls a Spitfire crash on the village green and the celebratory conflagration of VJ Day

Hidden treasures

Underneath the streets of London, there’s a cornucopia of collectables. Emma Hughes delves into the archives of museums and galleries to see what she can find

Fields of glory

Hailstone Barn, near Tetbury, Gloucestershire Tiffany Daneff visits a naturalistic courtyard garden that cleverly sets up this converted barn in a sea of arable land Photographs by Rebecca Bernstein

Where the living is easy

Dead flies and cobwebs, mouse droppings and damp beds, brown water and faded furnishings: what is it about our long-cherished holiday houses that makes them such heaven? With glamorous foreign villas out of bounds this summer, we asked seven devotees to describe the perfect setting for a traditional British holiday

Stairway to Heaven

Nithurst Farm, West Sussex The home of Adam and Jessica Richards. A striking new house designed by architect Adam Richards for himself and his family draws on remarkably eclectic sources, from Vanbrugh to Art House cinema. Jeremy Musson reports Photographs by Will Pryce.

Creating an A team

Building a new house doesn’t only require great design, materials and craftsmanship, but also a trusty cohort of experienced professionals who work seamlessly together, says Amelia Thorpe

A blueprint for Nature

Largely forgotten, the art of cyanotype harnesses sunlight to render the shapes of the natural world in brilliant blue and white. Phoebe Hunt recaptures the magic

The New Farming Frontier

From an ‘invention hub’ to a hands-free farm and a robotic dairy, Harper Adams University teaches the very latest in cutting-edge agricultural methods. Jonathan Self meets the farmers of the future

All Creatures Great And Small

The Princess Royal supports many farming institutions, as reflected by the native breeds kept on her organic Gatcombe Park estate. Kate Green meets her eclectic collection of animals

Why three is the magic number

In the early 1900s, a group of Herefordshire farmers came together to form an agricultural society that now runs one of the country’s biggest shows. Jane Wheatley meets those who bring the four-day event to life

That'll do, sheep

The original working trials may have stemmed from banter over whose border collie was better, but, as members of the International Sheep Dog Society tell Katy Birchall, the special relationship between man, dog and sheep continues to enthral

Sporting chances

Two estates come to the market that provide an embarrassment of sporting, historical and cultural riches

Waste not, want not

In the run up to her 70th birthday, The Princess Royal pays tribute to her parents for instilling a lifelong love of Nature and urges us all to be more careful about waste and energy in the hope of securing a brighter future for the countryside

To the lighthouse

The Rubh’A’Mhail Lighthouse garden, Islay Undaunted by all that the sea and the storms throw at this barren headland, Suzanne Cobb has worked miracles to create a floriferous garden–much admired by The Princess Royal–that’s literally between a rock and a hard place, finds Tiffany Daneff

Meet the countryside crusaders

From a retired gamekeeper and a fish warden to a TV presenter and an acclaimed author, The Princess Royal’s chosen rural champions reveal to Julie Harding why they love the countryside and their professions so much

Gone to rack and ruin?

Vice-Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, chairman of the English Heritage Trust, considers how best to manage our ruined country houses, ensuring that visiting them is both worthwhile and enjoyable

A Welsh painter in Italy

The landscape painter Thomas Jones (1742–1803) was one of the most forward-looking of the British artists who cut their teeth in Italy in the last decades of the 18th century. Huon Mallalieu considers his career

Teach Your Old Dog Some New Tricks

Long walks might be good for tiring your dog out, but, as Katy Birchall discovers, brain games are equally as important when it comes to relieving boredom, anxiety and restlessness for man’s best friend