In this issue

Inspired by birds, informed by science
The British Trust for Ornithology is still flying high in its 90th year, as Jack Watkins discovers.

Aberystwyth is so bracing
The clifftops of Ceredigion give Fiona Reynolds an urge to tackle the 870-mile Wales Coastal Path.

Style with sympathy
John Goodall falls for the charms of the sympathetically restored Chandler’s House in Wiltshire..

Inspired by birds, informed by science

The British Trust for Ornithology, a charity that prides itself on its scientific approach, is celebrating its 90th birthday. Jack Watkins reports

5 mins

Aberystwyth is so bracing

Walking along the cliffs in Ceredigion tempts one to tackle Wales's entire coastal path

3 mins

Brighton Rock

GRAHAM GREENE divided his fiction into two categories, namely serious literary novels and what he described as ‘entertainments’.

4 mins

Style with sympathy

Chandler’s House, Alton Barnes, Wiltshire - The sympathetic restoration of a delightful house has created new, liveable and stylish interiors within potentially awkward constraints, as John Goodall discovers

6 mins

The lord of the books

From a sentence born of an exhausting teaching job, J. R. R. Tolkien crafted a series of fantastical novels that, 50 years on from his death, still loom as large in our imagination as Sauron’s all-seeing eye, says Matthew Dennison

7 mins

Not to be sniffed at

Claire Jackson meets the highly intelligent sniffer dogs that can help to detect invasive Japanese knotweed, even when it lies dormant in the ground

3 mins

The glory of the gratin

A no-nonsense feast to gird the belly and quicken the heart, the gratin—whether it be slathered over meat, fish or vegetables—is all about an indulgent excess of cream topped by crispy cheese, says Tom Parker Bowles

3 mins

The glory of the gratin

A no-nonsense feast to gird the belly and quicken the heart, the gratin–whether it be slathered over meat, fish or vegetables–is all about an indulgent excess of cream topped by crispy cheese, says Tom Parker Bowles

3 mins

The COUNTRY LIFE Top 100

There are few more rewarding experiences than successfully breathing new life into an old house—or commissioning a new one. For the seventh year, COUNTRY LIFE has compiled its ever-evolving list of architects, interior designers, garden designers and specialists with the experience and creativity required to get it right

10+ mins

The search for a 'forever' house

These ancient Kent houses were built to last

5 mins

Reject tradition, embrace the eccentric

Our nation is built on whimsy and these five properties are all a bit out of the ordinary

2 mins

Growth factors

The kitchen garden at Gravetye Manor, near East Grinstead, West Sussex Mary Keen talks to head gardener Tom Coward about bringing life and produce back to William Robinson’s magnificent elliptical walled garden

4 mins

Juicy fruits

GRAPEFRUIT used to be rare and exotic.

4 mins

Nothing to get in a flap about

Often dismissed as ‘rats with wings’ or avian fly-tippers, few birds inspire as much hatred as pigeons. But, if we knew them a little better, we’d love them more, says Vicky Liddell

7 mins

Away with the fairies

She first took up painting as solace from disease, yet Cicely Mary Barker’s whimsical illustrations—most notably her flower fairies—still hold great appeal 50 years after her death, observes Claire Jackson

4 mins

Medici masterpieces and Chinese camels

A look ahead to Maastricht, where star attractions include panels from the Medici workshops and a pair of Tang camels

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.