CATEGORIES

Turn up the colour

TOO many gardeners are afraid of colour; indeed, I confess to feeling guilty on occasion at my profligate use of it in the garden.

The spies who loved us

Their exploits would have made Bond proud and, now, these two fearless female undercover agents are joining the ranks of notable figures to be honoured with one of London’s blue plaques, recounts Catriona Gray

The animals behind Animal Farm

George Orwell may have intended his seminal novel, published 75 years ago, to be an allegory on the Russian Revolution, but his extensive farming knowledge informed his animal portraits, making them powerful and, in part, believable, finds Julie Harding

New walls on old foundations

Burghley House, Lincolnshire, part I The home of Miranda and Orlando Rock This year marks the 500th anniversary of the birth of William Cecil, a statesman of defining importance in the nation’s history. John Goodall considers the Tudor development of the great baronial seat he created for himself

Around Britain in 40 monarchs

From William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II: John Goodall presents a tour of Britain, through the murder and mayhem of the Middle Ages, the madness of George III and the stability of Victoria, highlighting places and objects associated with each of them over the past millennium

Relishing a challenge

Holcombe Court, Devon, part II The home of Nigel Wiggins In the second of two articles, John Goodall looks at the restoration of an outstanding Tudor house completed with great flair over the course of nearly two decades

They've stood the test of time

Charles Dickens died 150 years ago, since when Mr Micawber has become a byword for optimism, Scrooge for meanness and Uriah Heep for obsequiousness, and we still quote Mr Bumble’s ‘the law is an ass’. Rupert Godsal explains why these characters are so exuberantly unforgettable

Where the spirit of Pope lives on

His ‘genius of the place’ is alive and well in the romantic landscape he created in Cirencester Park

Sensation as colour

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham (1912–2004) spanned the 20th century with a remarkable range of figurative and abstract paintings and drawings that deserve to be better known, says Peyton Skipwith

Peace at last

Amy Jeffs revives St Erkenwald’s ghostly encounter with the corpse beneath St Paul’s

Stop making rash promises

The humble nettle’s burning sting has made it seem intrusive and hostile. However, when all is told, contends Ian Morton, its many species serve humanity and wildlife rather well

It's a man thing

DESPITE all the progress with gender stereotypes, there are a few character traits that still distinguish the male.

Interiors - The designer's room

An integral pantry and utility are vital ingredients in this family kitchen by Humphrey Munson

Balm for the soul

Mary Miers discovers the coronavirus has not dulled the taste for well-executed paintings inspired by Nature, nor impaired the dealer’s nose for sniffing out emerging talent

A sweet disorder

Moor Wood, Gloucestershire Charles Quest-Ritson visits the National Collection of rambling roses, which shows these most romantic of plants at their very finest

Beautiful Britain: Tarmar Valley

Areas of outstanding

Where there's muck, there's magic

Under a bright-blue May sky with the chatter of swallows, John Lewis-Stempel marvels at the wildflowers in the meadow as his herd of Limousin cattle enjoy the lush grass in five-acre field

Interiors: The designer's room

Emma Burns transformed the sitting room of this London townhouse into an elegant bedroom

It's written on the wind

Lorna Doone, Tarka the Otter and The Water-Babies were all conceived in our wonderful West Country. Clive Aslet loses himself in a landscape of literary inspiration

Where the wind blows

This coastal garden has woven itself into the landscape with its clever use of wild and cultivated planting, reveals Noel Kingsbury

Go west

As one agent tells me, the ‘West Country is the best country’ and, looking at these properties, it’s tough to disagree

The magic of the moors

In the first of an occasional series on Britain’s treeless landscapes, Mark Griffiths examines our ancient fear and fascination with ecologically invaluable moorland, of which we have more than any other country in the world, and makes the case for its protection

A life on the ocean wave

For photographer-turned-trawlerman Paul Quagliana, learning the ropes led to a close encounter with a rat on deck and an arduous, yet rewarding job harvesting the fruits of the sea

Chicken soup for the soul

The rest of the world may laugh, but shepherd’s pie, steak-and-kidney pudding and treacle sponge remain on our menus like old friends, lifting spirits in times of need. Flora Watkins dives into the best of British comfort food

A house of puzzles

''Holcombe Court, Devon, part I The home of Nigel Wiggins'' In the first of two articles, Roger White unravels the development of this magnificent Tudor house and discusses its rich internal decoration

The great green cover-up

There is an awful lot of homework involved in caring for the environment. Jonathan Self separates fact from fiction and debunks 10 of the most prevalent sustainable myths

Natural polish

The Old Vicarage, Warwickshire For her family home, designer Angel Collins has created a relaxed country garden with a smart, contemporary edge. Non Morris pays a visit

‘Everything is art'

With his focus on consumerism, celebrity and counter-culture, Andy Warhol (1928–87) helped to create today’s world. Michael Murray- Fennell considers the influential Pop artist

There's nowhere to hide

Starry new productions of Alan Bennett’s tragicomic Talking Heads are under way, but how do you make a monologue compelling? It’s a test of true acting

Gone birding

The BBC correspondent on his lesser-known role as president of an avian charity