In this issue

Masterpiece
Jack Watkins admires Gerald Durrell’s My Family and Other Animals, which brought the natural world alive for so many.

The protector of cherry trees
A desire to make amends for Japan’s part in the Second World War led to one man’s creation of a profusion of flowering cherries, discovers Val Bourne.

My Family and Other Animals

Britain’s greatest masterpieces

4 mins

Rhododendron heaven

The garden at Ramster, near Chiddingfold, Surrey The home of Mr and Mrs Paul Gunn and Mr and Mrs Malcolm Glaister In its centenary year, Ramster’s reputation continues to grow–together with its magnificent woodland garden, reveals Charles Quest-Ritson

7 mins

The narcissi you cannot do without

DAFFODILS glaring from verges and parks are not among my favourite flowers. The brashest of the large gold trumpets bears the name of King Alfred, yet he was, by all accounts, a modest and thoughtful man.

4 mins

The protector of cherry trees

Val Bourne tells the extraordinary story of the creation by a Japanese schoolteacher of a new race of flowering cherries, which is now available in this country

7 mins

English Home part III Early Tudor 1485–1560

Each month of this 125th anniversary year, COUNTRY LIFE illustrates a period in the development of the English great house, from the Middle Ages to the present day. In the third of this 12-part series, John Goodall looks at the architecture of the Tudor home

8 mins

For he's a jolly good Fell

A royal favourite, the hardy and hairy little Fell pony can pull a sledge, emerge alive after weeks in a snowdrift and win hearts with a glance. Julie Harding celebrates the breed society’s 100th anniversary

7 mins

Let it fly

At the start of the new fly-fishing season, our correspondent confesses to being a ‘possibilitarian’, who fishes as often as he can wherever fish are to be found

4 mins

The sound of spring

March’s spring equinox is invariably optimistic, as winter likes to cling on, says John Lewis-Stempel, but the toads and the rooks are busy making breeding plans

4 mins

Bath time

The launch of two striking period houses bring further appeal to the Regency city

5 mins

Dedicated follower of fashion

Be it fur-lined robes, tailored suits, woollen flat caps or clean-shaven jaws, men’s clothes and bodies have been subjected to the dictates of shifting tastes throughout history, reflects Matthew Dennison

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.