In this issue

A castle of curiosities
The history of Chillingham Castle in Northumberland is a turbulent and memorable one, peppered with family disputes, imprisonments and a live toad. John Goodall explores.

Windows on the world
The urge to chart our surroundings is centuries old. With map in hand, Matthew Dennison ventures forth in search of mammoth tusks and globes..

A castle of curiosities

Chillingham Castle, Northumberland The home of Sir Humphry Wakefield Bt and the Hon Lady Wakefield A castle saved from the brink of ruin is now a memorable home. John Goodall reports

9 mins

Windows on the world

The desire to chart the world around us is an impulse as old as time and some map-makers' efforts have an astonishing longevity, reveals Matthew Dennison

5 mins

Irruption of the waxwings

Once thought to have presaged the First World War, these exquisite European songbirds are a blessing to our shores, says Mark Cocker

4 mins

How to light a period house

Careful planning is the secret to illuminating historic spaces, says lighting designer Sally Stephenson of Owl Lighting

3 mins

Home truths

Cash-paying downsizers will have to compete with families hoping to upsize for these three charming homes under 2 million

4 mins

In with the new

Thomas Cundy I changed the face of Mayfair with the refronting programme he launched as chief surveyor of the Grosvenor estate, but much of his work was lost in subsequent renovation, as Carla Passino discovers

5 mins

The tale of two towers

England and France competed fiercely for bragging rights in the 19th and early 20th centuries, but no version of France's féted Eiffel Tower ever came to fruition. Not for lack of trying, however, says Martin Fone

5 mins

Surf and turf

The jaguar is the jewel in Belize’s conservation efforts, but they’re notoriously elusive, discovers Nigel Tisdall, on a journey to find them from rainforest to reef

5 mins

On the strait and narrow

Istanbul's Bosphorus Strait is one of the world's most evocative and significant waterways in a constant state of flux, says Catherine Fairweather, who journeys upriver to find out what's occurring on the European and too-often-overlooked Asian banks

5 mins

Get down on your knees

The gardens at Thenford House, home of Lord and Lady Heseltine James Alexander-Sinclair joins snowdrop lovers wandering through more than 900 varieties of Galanthus, perhaps the largest collection in the country

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.