In this issue

Beautiful Britain: North Devon
Kate Green explores the wild coast of contrasts and cliffs.

The sands of time past, present and future
Our dunes are a dynamic and valuable natural resource, rich in flora and fauna, and need protection, explains Mark Griffiths..

Beautiful Britain

Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty

2 mins

The sands of time past, present and future

From the reed marsh of the south to the machair of the north, dunes are the UK’s most dynamic landscapes, continually, magically, evolving. They’re also, says Mark Griffiths, much misunderstood and in need of urgent help

5 mins

That's the way to do it !

A parrot-voiced hunchback with a hook nose, an evil smile and a ghastly taste for domestic violence could hardly be considered a role model for children, yet our love for Punch and Judy shows endures. Matthew Dennison explores the evolution of Pulcinella

6 mins

An Englishman's hut is his castle

From preservers of British modesty to kitsch and unloved relics, our nation’s beach huts are back in vogue.

6 mins

Full of broad beans

Once believed to be vessels for the souls of the recently departed, a freshly picked pod with broad beans nestling in their velvety white casing is a seasonal obsession for Tom Parker Bowles

4 mins

Any Fort in a storm

Interesting coastal houses for sale include a formerly piratical home on the Helford, a hidden, creekside recording studio and three Napoleonic-era forts

5 mins

Oh, we do love to grow beside the seaside

The key to making a success of a garden on the coast is finding plants that will be happy whatever the wind, sea and sand throw at them. John Hoyland suggests some of the best to try

6 mins

‘Sir, what's the difference between a cactus and a succulent?'

SUCCULENTS: their very name is mouthwatering— unless, of course, you’re one of those gardeners who lumps them with cacti, their spiny cousins. ‘Sir, what’s the difference between a cactus and a succulent?

3 mins

It really is cricket

England should beat the West Indies in the Wisden Trophy starting today, but, asks James Fisher, what will be the impact of lockdown, new faces and closed doors?

4 mins

Breath of fresh air

Laura Gascoigne celebrates the neglected genius of Richard Parkes Bonington (1802–28), an English painter of French seascapes who fell between two schools

7 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.