In this issue

A shaggy dog story
The grand old English sheepdog, veteran of Dulux ads and David Bowie dance routines, is in trouble, finds Katy Birchall.

The Gate of Heaven
As Bevis Marks celebrates 320 years of continuous worship, Jeremy Musson explores the oldest operating synagogue in Britain, the beating heart of London’s Jewish community.

Something old, something new
Many of our great gardens benefit from being passed down through generations. Catherine Larner explores a notable trio.

The Yellow Room

NANCY LANCASTER and John Fowler were a fractious pairing, ‘the most unhappy unmarried couple in England,’ as Lancaster’s aunt Nancy Astor put it, but their imaginative dynamic brought spectacular results.

4 mins

The Gate of Heaven

Bevis Marks, London EC3 Britain’s oldest operating synagogue has remained in continuous use in the heart of the City since 1701, as Jeremy Musson reveals. Its interior has been specially photographed for COUNTRY LIFE by candlelight

8 mins

A shaggy dog story

These big bundles of fur have advertised Dulux and danced with David Bowie, but numbers of old English sheepdogs are plummeting, warns Katy Birchall

5 mins

Something old, something new

After years of nurturing a great garden, passing on the responsibility to younger custodians is easier if it’s kept in the family, finds Catherine Larner

8 mins

All about Eve

Dismissed as a crank in the late 1930s for her progressive views on farming, Lady Eve Balfour went on to co-found the Soil Association, says Sarah Langford

4 mins

The colour purple

With gleaming skin and a plump, elongated shape, the versatile aubergine offers subtle, yet luscious succour to countless dishes, says Tom Parker Bowles

4 mins

The drama of Arts and Crafts

Two superb small estates in Surrey and Hampshire are as desirable for modern owners as they were in their illustrious beginnings

5 mins

Overflowing with good ideas

The garden at Balcombe Mill House, East Sussex Island beds brimming with naturalistic plantings of perennials and grasses have brought the once-renowned garden at the Mill House, Balcombe, West Sussex, back from the brink, reveals John Hoyland

6 mins

A strange fish

With a bite like a vampire, the lamprey is a sinister-looking fish with a shady past, says Aeneas Dennison

3 mins

In search of an earthly paradise

Famous for urging us to have nothing in our homes that is not useful or beautiful, William Morris’s masterful command of pattern and Arts-and-Crafts design masked a deeply unhappy marriage, says Michael Montagu

8 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.