Published by Time Inc. (UK) Ltd Country Life, the quintessential English magazine, is undoubtedly one of the biggest and instantly recognisable brands in the UK today. It has a unique core mix of contemporary country-related editorial and top end property advertising. Editorially, the magazine comments in-depth on a wide variety of subjects, such as architecture, the arts, gardens and gardening, travel, the countryside, field-sports and wildlife. With renowned columnists and superb photography Country Life delivers the very best of British life every week.
Miss Victoria Margaret Danielle Ludlow
Dressing it up • Future Publishing Ltd, 121–141 Westbourne Terrace, Paddington, London W2 6JR 0330 390 6591; www.countrylife.co.uk
Country Life
Town & Country
Town & Country Notebook
Letters to the Editor
Doing the decent thing
A worrying future for historic chapels
The way we were Photographs from the COUNTRY LIFE archive
My favourite painting Kate Corbett-Winder
This is England • May Hill, with its spectacular views lit by winter sun, has a promise of the spring to come, as in Edward Thomas’s account of an epic walk
New Grub Street
Romans and reivers • Netherby Hall, Cumbria The home of Gerald and Margo Smith A house built on the site of a Roman fort evokes two periods of the distant past. John Martin Robinson reports on the recent revival of the building, including the award-winning restoration of its stables
Native breeds Bagot goat
Let’s stick together • It shouldn’t be a case of farming or the environment
Love on the wing • Their plumage might be breathtaking and their calls haunting, but birds behave much like us when it comes to romance, with some looking for stable relationships and others for casual encounters, finds Stephen Moss
How do I measure up? • Arms, feet, local stones and even barleycorn have all played a part in our bid to quantify the world, discovers Ben Lerwill, as he weighs up the stories behind how units of measurement were standardised
Your zest friend • It may look a little dull compared with other fruit, but the zingy orange was once the preserve of kings and nothing beats its sweet and sharp magic when it comes to brightening up a dreary winter day, says Tom Parker Bowles
In the red • Symbolising anger, passion, courage, love, danger and joy, red can enhance any mood, says Hetty Lintell
What’s in a puppy’s name? • It may be time to park Rover and consider something more imaginative, says Jonathan Young
Lights fantastic • Amelia Thorpe shines a light on the latest designs
Beam me up • At last, help is at hand for anyone blinded by the byzantine complexity of architectural lighting
The winner takes it all • Three properties in East Anglia are fine examples of the wealth and beauty that have characterised the region for centuries
Flowers of Scotland • Properties north of the Border offer terrific value, tremendous scenery and a taste of the wilderness. What more could you want?
Bright-bulb moments • The Wild Garden at Doddington Hall, Lincolnshire The home of Mr and Mrs James Birch Sweeps of spring bulbs scatter the lawns in what appears to be an entirely natural show, but is, in fact, a carefully curated selection that flowers in three distinct phases, says Tilly Ware
Rose gold
Cut and come again • Easily identified by their gnarled silhouettes, pollarded trees can be found all over the country. Charles Quest-Ritson looks into the history and origins of this ancient method of tree management
Will the real Donatello please stand up? • Sometimes obstreperous, coarse and tricky, Donatello- or Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi–was so outrageously talented he could create...