Lifestyle
BBC Countryfile Magazine
Constable COUNTRY
Few artists are as synonymous with a place as John Constable. Ahead of a major Tate Britain exhibition marking 250 years since his birth, Ben Lerwill ventures to the open skies and slow waters of the idyllic Essex-Suffolk border
8 min |
October 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
Embrace cold-water swimming
Boosting your mood, immune system, circulation and fitness levels, the benefits of cold-water swimming are immense. Here are our insider tips to get you started
3 min |
October 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
Public transport is failing rural youth: a shake-up is long overdue
Parents of school-age children may well recognise the precarity of rural home-to-school transport. When Paul Dale got in touch from School Transport Action Group, set up by parents to fight a new policy from North Yorkshire Council, I knew where he was coming from.
2 min |
October 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
Treacle tart
Sweet and comforting, Harry Potter's favourite pudding is a perfect example of culinary alchemy
2 min |
October 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
Plaiting gold
For thousands of years, corn dollies, or harvest tokens, were crafted by our ancestors to house the spirit of the crop, but this intricate art is now at risk of extinction. Julie Brominicks finds out why
5 min |
October 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
NEWLY IDENTIFIED DINOSAUR SPECIES SPORTED A “STRIKING SAIL”
Remains unearthed on the Isle of Wight are from a new species of iguanodontian with long spines along its back that may have been used for displaying to potential mates
2 min |
October 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
HOT SPRING AND SUMMER FAIL TO STEM BUTTERFLY DECLINE
Large whites top Butterfly Conservation's Big Butterfly Count results in 2025, but their success isn't shared by most UK species
2 min |
October 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
TOP 10 SUPERB LITERARY SETTINGS
Ellie Tennant explores the stunning landscapes that have inspired best-selling novels
8 min |
October 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
Q&A The big questions answered
1 What's the history of Irish clans?
10+ min |
October 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
A CIRCLE OF STORIES
In his new novel, author Ken Follett breathes life into one of the greatest British mysteries: Stonehenge
2 min |
October 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
The final journey
The life cycle of the European eel involves one of nature's most remarkable migration stories. Yet they are now critically endangered – and no one knows why. Kevin Parr delves deeper -
7 min |
October 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
The art of nature
Ian McEwan's lifelong respect for nature shapes his poignant new novel What We Can Know. In a rare interview, the author discusses nature's vulnerability, beauty and resilience - and his hope for the future
8 min |
October 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
ENGLAND'S FLY-TIPPING HOTSPOTS REVEALED
Government figures identify the worst-affected areas as numbers of incidents rise
1 min |
October 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
A powerful technological revolution in farming is underway
Your starter for 10 - can you name a highly computerised and technically advanced vehicle currently on sale in the UK?
2 min |
October 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
LOCALS BACK LYNX RETURN IN NORTHERN ENGLAND
New research shows that many people support a plan to reintroduce the native cat to Northumberland
1 min |
October 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
A CHILDHOOD PASTIME GOES GLOBAL
The World Conker Championships has turned the traditional game of conkers into a serious and fiercely fought test of skill
3 min |
October 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
ANCIENT COW TOOTH COULD HELP SOLVE A MYSTERY OF STONEHENGE, SAY SCIENTISTS
Analysis of a 5,000-year-old tooth may suggest how huge stones were moved vast distances
2 min |
October 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
What are the world's most famous archaeological hoaxes?
The temptation to pull the wool over the eyes of experts has often proved strong, particularly where there is money to be gained or reputations to be tarnished. Here are some of the most famous archaeological fakes.
2 min |
September 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
Birth of a nation
Hastings, Agincourt and Waterloo are ingrained in our national psyche, but was a largely forgotten battle in Wiltshire more significant in shaping England and the English? Author Rupert Gavin tells Fergus Collins about King Alfred's last desperate roll of the dice at Edington
7 min |
September 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
Which dog has its own clan tartan?
What did Agatha Christie, Queen Victoria and Sir Alec Guinness have in common? Each of them owned a Dandie Dinmont terrier - an affectionate, intelligent breed developed in the border regions of Scotland and England.
1 min |
September 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
What's the best position to sleep in?
As I type this, we're enduring that rare thing in the UK: a heatwave. It can make life uncomfortable by day and unbearable at night. It also makes you acutely aware of how you sleep and begs the question: is there an optimum sleeping position to maximise shuteye?
3 min |
September 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
NOW GO THERE
Where to stay, eat and what to do along the Northern Ireland Seafood Trails
3 min |
September 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
HAMMER HURLING AND CABER TOSSING
Reputedly inspiring the modern Olympics, Highland Games are strenuous, centuries-old sporting celebrations of Scottish culture
3 min |
September 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
Which is Britain's biggest slug?
Slimy, silent and surprisingly elusive, Britain's - in fact, the world's - biggest land slug is a creature of the night. The ash-black slug (Limax cinereoniger) is a remarkable nocturnal gastropod known not just for its impressive size but also for its climbing skills and secretive woodland lifestyle.
2 min |
September 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
How can I stay fitter for longer... without going to a gym?
Imagine staying fit and mobile for life without setting foot in a gym – no workout apps, no high-intensity classes, no expensive equipment, just simple, joyful movement woven into your daily routine. That’s what happens in the world’s Blue Zones, five regions where people routinely live well into their 90s and even over 100, remaining active, independent and free from chronic disease. So what’s the secret? It’s natural movement built into everyday life.
3 min |
September 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
Was beer really weaker in the past?
Beer is one of the oldest and most widely consumed drinks, with profound social, economic and cultural significance in human history. It is commonly believed that, particularly in medieval times, weak (low-alcohol) beer was consumed in vast quantities because it was safer to drink than water, which was often contaminated. Since then, the story goes, the alcohol content has increased - but how true is this?
1 min |
September 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
Northern Ireland's seafood trails
For an island nation, we can be unadventurous consumers of seafood, but food-lovers in Northern Ireland are keen to change all that. Margaret Bartlett samples fruits of the ocean on a harbour-hopping tour
10 min |
September 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
Leaving a trace
PFAS can repel water, oil, sweat, dirt and heat, making them ideal for outdoor gear. But what about the impacts of these 'forever chemicals' on the environment and human health?
8 min |
September 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
STUDENT DISCOVERS A REMARKABLE NEW PREHISTORIC SPECIES
The 145-million-year-old fossil found in Dorset reveals a mammal that lived alongside dinosaurs
1 min |
September 2025
BBC Countryfile Magazine
With bird flu on the rampage, citizen scientists have a major role to play
Though it has largely dropped out of the headlines, a virus that triggered an unprecedented global wildlife emergency is still on the rampage, prompting scientists to call for urgent action to prevent further ecological disaster. The virus is question is avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu.
2 min |