In this issue

Tony Hall’s favourite painting
The chairman of the board of trustees for the National Gallery chooses the serene Madonna he first saw on Kenneth Clark’s Civilisation programme.

If the wig fits
Rugby players in dresses and bankers in tights—why do Britons shed all inhibitions in the face of fancy dress, asks aficionado Kit Hesketh-Harvey..

Murder in the cathedral

Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, was famously murdered in Canterbury Cathedral exactly 850 years ago. John Goodall revisits this brutal event and considers its consequences

5 mins

If the wig fits

Rugby boys in dresses, bankers in tights, aristocrats in full Mars and Venus regalia: why do we Britons shed all inhibitions in the face of fancy dress, asks Kit Hesketh-Harvey

4 mins

An Irish inferno

Between 1919 and 1923, in the War of Independence and the subsequent civil war, nearly 300 country houses were burned in Ireland. To mark the centenary of the events, Terence Dooley re-appraises the motives behind this destruction

8 mins

The big picture

THE world’s largest island (home to the world’s largest national park) hit the headlines in 2019 when the 45th US President announced he wanted to buy it. Unfortunately for Donald Trump, the sale didn’t go through (not that the place was ever up for grabs anyway). Fortunately for Greenland, there’s no such thing as bad press.

1 min

If You Go Down To The Jungle Today

On a trip to Africa’s self-proclaimed safest country, John Goodall finds a Rwanda free from the grip of its turbulent past and comes face-to-face with two of its most astonishing and heavily protected residents

6 mins

The top 10

From grande dames to brand-new boltholes and everything in between, COUNTRY LIFE rounds up the hotels and villas that should be top of your wishlist in 2021

10+ mins

Go with the tide

Nigel Tisdall falls for northern India aboard a luxury river cruise on the country’s greatest sacred river

3 mins

Parental guidance

Gap years no longer mean saying goodbye to your offspring for months at a time. Giles Kime jumps on the bandwagon and joins his daughter on her long-haul travels

4 mins

Through the lens

Wildlife cameraman Bertie Gregory has travelled all over the world in pursuit of the perfect shot. He talks to Rosie Paterson about a few of his favourite moments

4 mins

Climbing to new heights

If you don’t want to spend the winter perched up a ladder, consider planting a modern climbing rose, which gives you more flowers for longer from less ground space, advises Charles Quest-Ritson

6 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.