In this issue

‘What makes me happy is a project’
Writer Lady Antonia Fraser tells Jane Wheatley of her dealings with everyone from the Almighty to the playwright Harold Pinter.

Quintessential Cotswolds
Penny Churchill reveals a rare opportunity to own the famous formal gardens of Lyegrove House.

'What makes me happy is a project'

The nonagenarian writer on a brush with the Almighty and Harold Pinter as critic

4 mins

A nursery of inventions

7, Park Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire | A Cotswold townhouse echoes the remarkable career of its restorer and creator, Rory Young. Alan Powers reflects on his influence and enthusiasms as embodied here

8 mins

All's wool that ends wool

From warm cloaks for the Roman army to many handsome churches, much of England’s might and wealth once rested on the back of the Cotswold sheep’s ‘golden fleece’, says Charles Harris

7 mins

Tell me when the whistle blows

As Elton John’s Rocket Records celebrates its 50th anniversary, Steve Sutherland remembers the very boozy launch party, held in the unlikely, but charming Cotswolds setting of Moreton-in-Marsh

5 mins

The world's my oyster

On the 150th anniversary of the death of British explorer David Livingstone, Ben Lerwill asks why intrepid British men and women have long been–and still are–fond of venturing to the farthest corners of the globe

7 mins

For whom the fairy bells toll

Sometimes unfairly dismissed as ugly, edible wood sorrel, once known as fairy bells, is not only blessed with pretty white flowers, it’s also capable of predicting rain, says John Wright

5 mins

Putting the house in order

Having vowed to ‘commit more fishing’ this year, our correspondent plunges into his gallimaufry of flies and collection of good-luck charms in an attempt to restore a semblance of order to his tackle room

4 mins

Turning fantasy into reality

What do hotels have to teach us about designing a bedroom?

3 mins

Quintessential Cotswolds

The market in this delightful corner of England is as robust as ever

7 mins

Get set

From Daylesford Organic to the Soho Farmhouse, western England’s AONB still seems like the place to be

3 mins

Slowly does it

Oxleaze Farm, near Lechlade, Gloucestershire The home of Mr and Mrs Charles Mann | The making of this Cotswold garden has taken place bit by bit, as time and circumstances have allowed, and the results are immensely satisfying, says Kendra Wilson

5 mins

I vow to thee, my 'very stinking herb'

Having trodden the fine line between love and hate, Tom Parker Bowles finds that what once tasted vile is now sweetly seductive: yes, he has fallen in lust with coriander

3 mins

When it all goes pear-shaped

Not to be confused with cider, the art of perry-making is more than a craft–it’s an English passion. Ben Lerwill meets some of our best producers of fermented pear juice

6 mins

If music be the food of love

The summer opera season of picnics and Puccini is upon us. Henrietta Bredin advises how best to enjoy this year’s offerings

5 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.