In this issue

Straight from the horse’s mouth
For centuries, we have relied on our trusty steeds. John Lewis- Stempel delves into equine lives.

Once upon a blackberry
Amid the thorns is sustenance for man and beast alike. Vicky Liddell untangles the bramble.

Leonie Benesch’s favourite painting
The actress picks a powerful self-portrait of a very modern girl.

The History Boys

AS a Leeds grammar-school boy pre-paring to take a scholarship exam for Oxford, Alan Bennett worked out a clever system of reducing ‘everything I knew to a set of notes with answers to possible questions and odd, eye-catching quotations all written out on a series of forty or fifty correspondence cards, a handful of which I carried in my pocket wherever I went.

4 mins

All the gears and no idea

The presenter on the realities of farming and why rock stars should run the countryside

5 mins

Admiration and intimacy

The Palace of Versailles, France From 1661 until his death in 1715, Louis XIV invested huge sums of money transforming Versailles into a palace that commanded international admiration. Philip Mansel considers the response of English visitors to this astonishing creation

8 mins

Purple reign

It’s September and the grapes hang heavy on the vine, ripe for treading, explains Amy Jeffs

2 mins

Straight from the horse's mouth

Equus caballus has served us for millennia on the land, the battlefield and in the sporting arena, so it’s no wonder our passion for our trusty steeds remains unbridled, says John Lewis-Stempel

6 mins

Where champions are made

After Britain’s triumphant equestrian Olympics, there is a chance to watch the stars on home turf, says Kate Green

3 mins

Why We Should All Be Growing Plectranthus

The Victorian favorite is finding justly deserved favour again, reveals John Hoyland

4 mins

Wonderful walnuts

IN the run-up to my birthday in mid-July, it is not unusual to see me with a knitting needle heading to the nearest walnut tree.

4 mins

Escape to the farm

Never has it been more important for children to learn about food production or responsibility for animals. Tessa Waugh reports on the schools taking a lead in agricultural education

6 mins

The girls are running away with the ball

Sally Jones celebrates the schools that have broken with tradition to promote girls playing formerly male-dominated sports

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.