In this issue

Quirks and perks of the Channel Islands
From hellhounds to hedgehogs, knitting fishermen to monk builders, the ancient isles are full of extraordinary tales.

Green and pleasant islands
Sheltered and bathed in warm weather, the gardens of Guernsey have entranced growers for centuries, reveals Tony Russell.

A shore thing

With 48 miles of coastline, you could spend an entire weekend exploring different Jersey beaches and still not see them all. Antonia Windsor has the pick of the ones you really shouldn’t miss

4 mins

Those Magnificent Flying Machines

Outnumbered yet never outfought, The Few buckled on their Spitfires and rode into the Battle of Britain like knights on their chargers. Eighty years on, their true memorial is the freedom in the air we breathe, eulogises John Lewis-Stempel

4 mins

Of corn blobs and goggle-eyed plovers

From the ‘ethereal minstrel’ skylark to the yellowhammer with its ‘little-bit of-bread-and-no-cheese’ call, these birds are inextricably linked to our farming heritage, says Jack Watkins

6 mins

A magical touch

COUNTRY LIFE played a formative role in the development of Edwardian architectural taste, championing eclecticism and engaging with history, as Timothy Brittain-Catlin reveals

8 mins

Life in the slow lane

With a taste for radio and raspberries and a habit of clambering over anything in their path, tortoises are never going to be the cuddliest of pets, but they are nonetheless treasured by successive generations, finds Madeleine Silver

6 mins

And a partridge (not in a pear tree)

Some lust after sky-high pheasants or fast grouse, but, for Tom Parker Bowles, a French (or, even better, English) partridge bagged on a mild September day is top of the pops

4 mins

The best of both worlds

Two Oxfordshire properties that espouse the benefits of town and country living hit the market

5 mins

Our Guide To The Best Bulbs To Plant For Spring 2021

With tens of thousands of bulbs to choose from, what should you order? Val Bourne selects the finest, chosen for looks, performance and reliability

5 mins

Poet of the beach

In this 80th anniversary year of the retreat from Dunkirk, Peyton Skipwith considers the work of Richard Eurich (1903–92), War Artist, draughtsman and visionary painter of people, landscape and the sea

7 mins

The doors open at last

Marquees in Petworth Park will be thronged with eager visitors, where swivel guns and cufflinks, a bachelor chest and a noble Cheviot ram will draw their eyes

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.