In this issue

Spring fever
The reawakening of Nature has inspired artists from Botticelli to David Hockney and beyond. Michael Prodger revels in the artistic beauty of the season.

Prepare to be a-maze-d
Few can match the twists and turns of Adrian Fisher’s stellar career. Deborah Nicholls-Lee meets the maze designer behind the chilling climax of Saltburn.

Buzzing off

FIVE swarms of 50,000 rare Welsh black honeybees—previously thought to have died out in all but the most remote parts of northern Britain—have had temporarily to move house, while repair work at their home in Gwynedd, North Wales, is underway.

1 min

Where birds and a wild Englishman roamed

THE world’s first nature reserve, Waterton Park in West Yorkshire, has been granted protection by Historic England with a Grade II listing.

2 mins

Time for a soil resurrection

SHORTLY before Easter, we saw the countryside in all its complexities.

2 mins

Leading by example

Lancing College, West Sussex, part II In the second of two articles, John Goodall examines the outstanding school buildings of Lancing College, an institution celebrating its 175th anniversary

8 mins

Little April showers

Thunder and lightning may be very frightening, but they also point to a good growing season, assures Lia Leendertz

1 min

Spring fever

Nature's ebullient reawakening, whether celebrated through allegory or minutiously painted in all its blossom-laden glory, has captured the imagination of painters from Botticelli to Hockney. Michael Prodger revels in the season's artistic beauty.

6 mins

Prepare to be a-maze-d

Named for the old English meaning delirium or delusion, mazes were conceived to boggle the mind. Deborah Nicholls-Lee meets the man behind Saltburn's chilling climax

5 mins

The designer's room

Plain English worked with antique dealer Robert Young to create a serene, yet hardworking kitchen with views over beautiful gardens

1 min

A natural choice

Green is the perfect colour for a kitchen, says Amelia Thorpe

1 min

Footloose and fancy free

Historic houses that are unfettered by a listing

2 mins

Sun in the sky

With Easter behind us, thoughts turn to the summer months and a clutch of attractive waterside houses come to the market this week

5 mins

London Life

Your indispensable guide to the capital

1 min

Back to business

Brits still do it best when it comes to a proper read: boozy) business lunch, says William Sitwell, who lifts the white tablecloth on where to dine and deal in London

5 mins

Classically different

Two friends are changing the way Londoners listen to classical music, as well as introducing it to a younger audience, says Richard MacKichan

3 mins

A garden from scratch - The garden at Charlton Farm, Wiltshire The home of Mrs Simon Rivett-Carnac

Within only 14 years, seven acres of featureless grass have been transformed into a garden full of incident and charm, writes Caroline Donald

4 mins

I go to the hills

When the snow and the skiers retreat, the Alps emerge as a realm of meadows, lakes and crystalclear air, with plenty of Michelin-starred food to fuel your adventures, discovers Richard MacKichan

3 mins

Changing faces

Mallorca was one of Spain’s first holiday hotspots, but came close to ruin in the second half of the 20th century. Now, it’s back to its glorious best, says Hetty Lintell

4 mins

My heart goes flip, flip, flip

DO you know that feeling when your heart does a little flip at the sight of something beautiful? Mine did that last week. In fact, over the course of a couple of days, it did a series of little flips—possibly even a whole somersault.

3 mins

How to make an Impression

In 1874, a group of painters rejected by the official Paris Salon staged its own show and changed the course of art. It was France's convulsed lurch into the modern era that helped spark the Impressionist revolution

4 mins

Get the London look

Exuberant and different, Biba helped consign to history the fustiness of post-war dressing. Matthew Dennison looks at the rise and fall of the iconic 1960s fashion label

4 mins

Read all stories from Country Life UK

Country Life UK Magazine Description:

Country Life; architecture, gardens, countryside, property, the very best of British life Published by IPC Media. 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.