Country Life UK Magazine - April 02, 2025

In this issue

Smaller country houses 42 pages of dream property for sale The Maldives unpacked Designing rooms for conversation How to grow a magnificent magnolia

A house of many inspirations

High Wardington House, Oxfordshire The home of Mr and Mrs Norman Hudson A pre-eminent country-house adviser has created a home from a 300-year-old farmhouse and farmyard

7 mins

Joe Henson and native breeds

JOE HENSON was described, by television presenter John Craven, as 'himself a rare breed', as well as a 'true gentleman'.

1 min

From this slumber you shall wake

The dozy, golden-coated hazel dormouse may have got its paws under the Mad Hatter's table, but numbers of this elusive woodland rodent are worryingly low

5 mins

All 'Clough-ed up'

A romantic experiment surrounded by the natural majesty of North Wales, Portmeirion began life as an oddity, but has evolved into an architectural phenomenon kept alive by dedication, discovers Ben Lerwill

4 mins

The imitation game

Feats of cunning and creativity, Britain's thousands of defensive pillboxes were disguised as Gothic lodges, haystacks, public loos or even branches of WHSmith, discovers Harry Pearson

5 mins

Are you sitting sociably?

Carefully placed furniture encourages conversation, says Emma Burns of Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler

4 mins

In search of Arcadia

In any country estate, owners ought to be able to find refuge from the busy world—something entirely possible at these three properties

5 mins

The art of the home

Janine Stone & Co began with a passion for fine furnishings and exceptional design, deeply rooted in its founder's artistic upbringing. This heritage continues to influence the company’s commitment to creating houses that reflect the unique stories of their clientele

1 min

Always in style

Old rectories and vicarages have never lost their crown, taking architectural pride of place in villages across the country for centuries

2 mins

London Life

Your indispensable guide to the capital

1 min

It all happened on Booksellers' Row

Fire, murder and regicide plotting—Cecil Court has a colourful history and remains one of London's most atmospheric streets, says Huon Mallalieu, who has spent a lifetime browsing there

5 mins

A prince among plantsmen

The magnificent magnolias, many of them collected as seed in the wild, are only one aspect of this enthralling garden

5 mins

A touch of honey

THE first coffee of the day, the first warm-car interior of late winter that promises imminent spring, the first late-spring swallow: firsts hold a special place in our hearts and so, too, the first fruit of the year.

3 mins

Queen of the hedgerow

With a scent like summer, frothy heads of elder were once used to minimise the ravages of smallpox, but avoid sitting under the tree, warns John Wright

3 mins

Island state of mind

Libby Brodie reveals everything you need to know about the Maldives, from getting there in style to sustainable certifications, as Rosie Paterson visits four of the best resorts

7 mins

Having a meltdown

IN Book 11 of the Iliad, Homer describes a brief domestic scene in a battlefield tent where the slave girl Hecamede, 'fair as a goddess', concocts a drink for her master, Nestor, King of Pylos, and the wounded warrior-cum-surgeon, Machaon.

2 mins

Like duck to Turner

TURNER’S HOUSE in Twickenham, west London, is more than his home: it’s a window into his life.

7 mins

Close to your chest

Whether plain or resplendent with marquetry, chests of drawers have made their way into nearly every room, big and small. Huon Mallalieu charts their history

4 mins

Past and present master

As TEFAF Maastricht nears the 50th anniversary of its first incarnation, astounding works from earlier centuries still make their way to the Dutch fair, but the size and quality of its modern and contemporary art offering has also increased

4 mins

A song of the four seasons

When the words of poets elide with the music of composers, the resulting song cycles may form some of the most beautiful, evocative works in the classical repertoire. Henrietta Bredin meets the two artists who have joined forces to produce ‘Seasons’

4 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.