In this issue

Our spectacular coast
On a roll: why time and tide waits for no man
Goggle-eyed plovers and beach donkeys
Over the top: the £20 million coronation.

WALK THE LONDON LINE

Our capital city is more inviting for walkers than you might expect, with meadows, towpaths, unexpected sculpture and great houses to draw the eye. Octavia Pollock sets off to explore

5 mins

My favourite painting Lorna May Wadsworth

Cornelis van der Geest by Sir Anthony van Dyck

2 mins

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

I DON’T know what to write to you, so I shall tell you a story about four little rabbits, whose names were Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail, and Peter,’ wrote Beatrix Potter in 1893, in a letter to a little boy, the five-year-old son of her former governess, who was suffering from scarlet fever. A decade later, these lines, only slightly adjusted, formed the opening to what has become one of the bestselling, most fondly remembered books in children’s literature.

4 mins

‘Keep the momentum going'

The new Historic Houses president on leaky roofs, lobbying Government and VAT

5 mins

Say hello, wave goodbye

Whether constructive or destructive, waves–even as high as four double-decker buses–claw at our shores in a frenzy of energy, observes Annemarie Munro

6 mins

Architecture-on-Sea

What is it that makes the buildings of the seaside so distinct? Kathryn Ferry looks at the vibrant architecture of our coastal towns and the way our perception of it has been shaped by early-20th-century appreciation

8 mins

Daisy rides again

Once an endangered species, yet still gracing beaches up and down the land, the seaside donkey remains the epitome of an English summer, believes Vicky Liddell

6 mins

Far from brassed off

Those who play in a Northern brass band have a lung capacity similar to that of an Olympic athlete and, as Rebecca Oliver discovers, they’re not likely to run out of puff any time soon

5 mins

I've been a goggle eyed plover for many's the year

With a sinister yellow gaze and legs ‘swoln like those of a gouty man’, the prehistoric-looking stone curlew is nonetheless an endearing little fellow, finds Jack Watkins

4 mins

Interiors The designer's room

The new kitchen of Lisa Mehydene’s Cotswold barn was deliberately designed to appear old

1 min

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.