In this issue

Regal splendour and renewal
The State Apartments of our greatest Royal Residence, Windsor Castle, Berkshire, have been triumphantly renewed. John Martin Robinson takes an exclusive look at the results.

Breaking fresh ground
As he judders foward with the rotavator, John Lewis-Stempel welcomes the chiffchaff’s song..

Fiddling while Britain burns

WE’RE going to be warned by mobile phone if we’re likely to be flooded or threatened by storms or, eventually, terrorism. The Government has done a deal with the mobile-phone operators that will cover 90% of the country.

2 mins

Regal splendour and renewal

Windsor Castle, Berkshire An official residence of His Majesty King Charles III As the new reign begins, John Martin Robinson takes an exclusive look at the recently completed representation of the State Apartments at Windsor Castle

10+ mins

Breaking fresh ground

As he toils behind his rotavator on a March morning, John Lewis-Stempel breathes in the heady scent of turned soil and is cheered by the repetitive call of the chiffchaff that heralds the arrival of spring Illustration by Michael Frith

4 mins

Don't rain on my parade

Can we really control the weather? The implications are scary and complicated, but we should be researching the idea for use in a responsible way

4 mins

Who are you calling names?

From butterfly-friendly buddleia to decorative fuchsia, some of our most familiar shrubs owe their names to the friendship or admiration that linked botanists of the past.

6 mins

Join the club

Looks can be deceiving, as Eleanor Doughty discovers on a visit to the thoroughly modern Walbrook Club in the City of London

4 mins

The hovercraft

YOU knew you were living in the age of the hovercraft when James Bond (Sean Connery), impersonating a jewel smuggler, boarded one to cross the English Channel in Diamonds Are Forever (1971). They even blasted out the thrilling 007 theme as the camera zoomed in on a hovercraft symbol above the Port of Dover entrance as if it was an exotic beast, then cut to the SR-N4 Princess Margaret surfing away from the white cliffs.

3 mins

Hold the fort

Castles and castellated buildings have a fairy tale-like allure over some buyers-especially those from overseas or with a love of history

5 mins

Rare brilliance

Ven House, Milborne Port, Somerset The home of Mike Fisher and Charles Allen, the Lord Allen of Kensington There are few more beautiful houses in the South-West than Ven. But its formal gardens are in some ways even more remarkable, representing an extremely rare survival from the English Baroque. Christopher Stocks delves into their long and fascinating history

6 mins

The first unfurling

I NEVER quite remember how glorious it is going to be, that first day in spring when I can stay out all day in the garden, not doing anything unpleasant such as pruning roses, but simply fiddling about—a bit of weeding, a bit of tying in, but mostly just wandering, fitting myself back into the plot.

3 mins

It's only natural

Inspired by the crystal-clear swimming lakes of Austria and Germany, natural swimming pools are making more of a splash here than ever, says Anna Tyzack

6 mins

Faithful and fearless to the last

From the lifelike painting of majestic otterhound Brizo to Queen Victoria's affectionate portrait of her beloved dachshund, Waldmann, we've long turned to art to celebrate our cherished canine companions, says Matthew Dennison

6 mins

Return to magnificent Maastricht

After the dramas, the TEFAF fair is back as the art world's most important showcase

4 mins

Putting Man on the map

UNTIL the publication of Jonathan Kewley’s book, my scant knowledge about the ancient kingdom of Man amounted to the deathly TT motorcycle races, Manx cats without tails, Baillie Scott’s inventive Arts-and-Crafts houses and Sir John Betjeman’s elegiac essay, when he went ‘tramping kneedeep in blaeberry bushes on the wild west coast’, was exhilarated by the narrow-gauge railways and transfixed by the Tynwald Day celebrations.

6 mins

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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.