That boat has sailed

WELL, we haven’t stopped the boats. The Rwanda Bill was supposed to deter illegal migrants. It hasn’t and it won’t.

Through the looking glass

Little is more alluring than a mirror, its glittering reflection at once a symbol of vanity, palatial splendour and human ingenuity. Matthew Dennison charts its history from polished obsidian to decorative furnishing of unrivalled glamour

The sinner who painted saints

Although named after an angel, Caravaggio needed no stronger reason to brawl than having his artichokes dressed with butter instead of olive oil. Maev Kennedy delves into his short and brutal life

Whistle down the wind

‘The Lady of the Nightingales’ Beatrice Harrison charmed King and country with her garden duets. One hundred years later, Julian Lloyd Webber examines whether her performances were fact or fiction

Small, but perfectly formed

With a stream running through it and views of the Uffington White Horse, this is a garden of great natural beauty cleverly designed and planted to make it seem much larger than it actually is

Keys to the kingdom

Buying agents excel at gaining access to houses of which there's nary a whisper on the market, finds Annabel Dixon

Wedding belles

With parkland or rural settings, country houses make for idyllic wedding venues, as the vendors of these three properties have found

Different strokes

The infinite possibilities of decorative painting brought life to villas in Pompeii, Florentine palaces and Charleston in East Sussex. Today, a revival of interest in the artform is once again precipitating a highly distinctive new look in interiors

The art of layering

Henriette von Stockhausen believes combining textiles in a variety of different forms is the secret to creating a room that is not only timeless, but also supremely comfortable

Shepherd's delight

A prolific weed, shepherd’s purse has long been taken for granted, but it deserves greater consideration, if only for its medicinal properties

Our incomparable coastline

Our beautiful, infinitely varied coast has become central to our national concept of what makes Britain so special

A marvel revived

A major restoration project has brought one of Britain's greatest Victorian buildings back to splendour and life. Steven Brindle explains the extraordinary story of how it came to be

To have and to hold

A collection of much-loved pieces will turn a house into a home

Get the London look

Exuberant and different, Biba helped consign to history the fustiness of post-war dressing. Matthew Dennison looks at the rise and fall of the iconic 1960s fashion label

How to make an Impression

In 1874, a group of painters rejected by the official Paris Salon staged its own show and changed the course of art. It was France's convulsed lurch into the modern era that helped spark the Impressionist revolution

My heart goes flip, flip, flip

DO you know that feeling when your heart does a little flip at the sight of something beautiful? Mine did that last week. In fact, over the course of a couple of days, it did a series of little flips—possibly even a whole somersault.

Changing faces

Mallorca was one of Spain’s first holiday hotspots, but came close to ruin in the second half of the 20th century. Now, it’s back to its glorious best, says Hetty Lintell

I go to the hills

When the snow and the skiers retreat, the Alps emerge as a realm of meadows, lakes and crystalclear air, with plenty of Michelin-starred food to fuel your adventures, discovers Richard MacKichan

A garden from scratch - The garden at Charlton Farm, Wiltshire The home of Mrs Simon Rivett-Carnac

Within only 14 years, seven acres of featureless grass have been transformed into a garden full of incident and charm, writes Caroline Donald

Classically different

Two friends are changing the way Londoners listen to classical music, as well as introducing it to a younger audience, says Richard MacKichan

Back to business

Brits still do it best when it comes to a proper read: boozy) business lunch, says William Sitwell, who lifts the white tablecloth on where to dine and deal in London

London Life

Your indispensable guide to the capital

Sun in the sky

With Easter behind us, thoughts turn to the summer months and a clutch of attractive waterside houses come to the market this week

Footloose and fancy free

Historic houses that are unfettered by a listing

A natural choice

Green is the perfect colour for a kitchen, says Amelia Thorpe

The designer's room

Plain English worked with antique dealer Robert Young to create a serene, yet hardworking kitchen with views over beautiful gardens

Prepare to be a-maze-d

Named for the old English meaning delirium or delusion, mazes were conceived to boggle the mind. Deborah Nicholls-Lee meets the man behind Saltburn's chilling climax

Spring fever

Nature's ebullient reawakening, whether celebrated through allegory or minutiously painted in all its blossom-laden glory, has captured the imagination of painters from Botticelli to Hockney. Michael Prodger revels in the season's artistic beauty.

Little April showers

Thunder and lightning may be very frightening, but they also point to a good growing season, assures Lia Leendertz

Leading by example

Lancing College, West Sussex, part II In the second of two articles, John Goodall examines the outstanding school buildings of Lancing College, an institution celebrating its 175th anniversary