In this issue

Orchidmania
The quest across Britain

Seeing stars: the joys of night walking
Sold! How to decorate with auction fi nds
Below the belt: why sarcasm matters

Orchidmania justified

Mark Griffiths celebrates the 52 species of native British orchids whose extraordinary history and unconventional beauty have beguiled and intrigued both scientists and amateurs

9 mins

The great survivor

Burghley House, Lincolnshire, part II The home of Miranda and Orlando Rock In the second of two articles celebrating the 500th anniversary of the birth of William Cecil, Lord Burghley, Jeremy Musson looks at the 20th- and 21st-century story of the seat he created

8 mins

Reach for the stars

In the 200 years since its foundation, the Royal Astronomical Society has borne witness to the discoveries of Albert Einstein, Edwin Hubble and Stephen Hawking, as well as an enduring fascination with our less-immediate surroundings, reports Jack Watkins

3 mins

Going, going, gone...

Interior designers tell Amelia Thorpe about the thrills of furnishing a house at salerooms–and pick lots in recent auctions that have caught their eyes

3 mins

What price perfection?

Cecil Beaton’s cherished Chalke Valley country home and an award-winning Dutch-style house near the West Sussex coast come to the market

5 mins

Back from the brink

Ormiston House, Belfast, Northern Ireland After the police moved out in 1995, Ormiston was abandoned, its grounds reduced to a mess of razor wire and overgrown sycamores. Christopher Stocks applauds a remarkable renaissance

5 mins

Farewell to France

I HAVE spent the past 14 years living, for as much as the tax laws allow, in an unfashionable corner of Normandy. Why?

3 mins

Music In A Time Of Covid

Music in a time of Covid It’s a case of innovate or go under. From drive-in opera to face-masked players, musical bodies must find a way to keep going during the pandemic, says Claire Jackson

3 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.