From trout to treasure and wine to witches, it’s the county that has it all. Country Life writers present 13 tales tall and true from Hampshire’s rich history.
The legacy
Kate Green salutes Edward, 3rd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu and his matchless motoring collection
A room with a view
Adam Rattray visits the rented lodgings where Jane Austen spent her final days and reveals secrets recently uncovered in the house in Winchester, Hampshire
City of legend
Winchester is a place of kings and cobbles. Jason Goodwin visits our venerable one-time capital and finds it ageing well
London Life
Will Hosie welcomes top-class women’s tennis back to The Queen’s Club and washes down burgers with martinis to mark the return of the high-low restaurant, plus our writers have all you need to know this month
Travel
Emma Love has all the latest news, from Arles to Antwerp, Steven King hails the revival of Madrid and Pamela Goodman learns to love camels
Into the Goodwood
The West Sussex estate’s fresh focus on art and education is heralded with an exhibition of Dame Rachel Whiteread’s work
Nishat Khan’s favourite painting
The composer and musician chooses a fascinating scene that you could almost step into
The good stuff
Hetty Lintell strides into summer with bold red-and-white stripes
Interiors
A copper-topped kitchen catches the eye of Arabella Youens
Shape shifters
Non Morris is mesmerised by the tiered grass amphitheatre sculpted by Kim Wilkie in the garden of The Holt in Hampshire
Winging it
Mark Cocker hails the majestic merlin, the favoured hunting foil of Mary, Queen of Scots
Arts & antiques
Mollie Dent-Brocklehurst tells Carla Passino why she’ll never part with a remarkable drawing of a little girl with her hair ablaze
Jubilation and bittersweet tears greeted the end of hostilities in 1945, reports Octavia Pollock.
Mrs Olga Hopkins, Second World War veteran, takes centre stage on this week’s Frontispiece.
The carver, the baker and fancy shoemaker
Jane Wheatley meets some of the craftspeople enhancing the Cotswolds’ standing as a hive of creativity.
‘I am the Marquis of marmite’
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen is applying his trademark swagger to a new passion for painting, reveals James Fisher.
Nothing lasts forever
Laura Parker reveals in those ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ moments that only Nature can provide.
The Cotswolds never disappoints (above)
Penny Churchill showcases glorious country houses for sale in two ‘golden triangles’.
All set for the Chelsea chop?
This it the time to prune our late-flowering herbaceous perennials — join John Hoyland in wielding the secateurs.
Martina Froth’s favourite painting
The Yale Centre for British Art Director chooses a work tinged with a melancholy sadness.
An estate made public
John Goodall investigates the gradual architectural revolution of Bowood in Wiltshire, a house that boasts a remarkable history.
The legacy
Kate Green pay tribute to Alan Turing, the code cracker who curtailed the Second World War.
The Badminton A-Z (above)
From amateur riders to Zaragoza, Kate Green guides you through the world-class eventing action.
New series: Winging it
The elegant hobby is capable of snatching swallows in flight — Mark Cocker is rapt by raptors.
The good stuff
Hetty Lintell is wowed by watches.
Interiors
Restful bedroom furniture and accessories, with Amelia Thorpe.
London Life
Rosie Paterson reveals how bees are creating a buzz in the capital, our writers have all your need to know this month and Selina Cadell shares her on-stage experiences of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
A soft touch
Tiffany Daneff marvels at the flower-filled paradise of Hampnett House in Gloucestershire.
Travel (above)
Emma Love has an eye for adventure, Mark Hedges goes wild on safari in Botswana, Rosie Paterson hits the walking trail in Sri Lanka and Pamela Goodman hail’s Giubbilei’s gardens.
Art and antiques
Simon Finch tells Carla Passino he will not part with his £1 note signed by a Great Train Robber.
One king to rule them all
Mary Miers explores the artistic and cultural legacy of James I.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER MAGAZINE (May 1, 2025): The latest issue features the pintxos bars of San Sebastián to exploring the artists’ studios of Barcelona, the June issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK) invites you to discover mainland Spain’s most breathtaking cities through the eyes of locals.
Kenya: In the southern safari regions, humans and wildlife have a fragile coexistence Faroe Islands: In search of shapeshifters and sea trolls in this elemental archipelago in the Atlantic Biarritz: On France’s Basque coast, this nostalgic town is revered by surfers and gourmands alike Croatia:Hop from beach clubs to medieval monasteries with these island itineraries Cartagena: Local designers and bartenders are giving this Colombian city a shake-up Trentino: Mediterranean and Northern European cultures collide in this mountainous Italian province Chengdu:In Sichuan’s provincial capital, teahouses are attracting a new generation of travellers Prague: The Czech capital’s hotel scene is a feast for design aficionados
Plus, our pick of this month’s most exciting travel news; celebrating 200 years of Berlin’s Museum Island; a look at the flavours of Burgundy; exploring Galloway, Scotland, on two wheels; an architectural tour of Casablanca; the best summer music festivals; a dose of Victorian whimsy on the Isle of Wight; independent bookshops worth travelling for; and essential kit for festivalgoers.
The seeds of a renaissance for the British country house were sown in the mid 20th century, argues John Martin Robinson
Bringing ‘beauty’ back
Lord Deben assesses his 1997 ‘Gummer’s Law’, conceived to aid the creation of new houses
Radbourne Hall
John Goodall hails the revival of the 1740s Derbyshire house
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A question of technique
Mary Miers meets the experts keeping country houses and their collections in working order
Chillingham Castle
The Northumberland landmark lives on, discovers John Goodall
1975 and now
What a difference 50 years make
Asleep no more
Tiffany Daneff celebrates the designers bringing our leading country gardens back to life
Knowsley Hall
John Goodall finds the Lancashire home restored to its former glory
And now for something different
Diversification has revived the fortunes of many an estate in the past 50 years, reveals Kate Green
What’s on at the big house
This year’s country-house events
Stowe
John Goodall charts the survival of this Buckinghamshire gem
Ready for anything
Arabella Youens examines how owners are equipping their houses to thrive for the next 100 years
Wimborne St Giles
John Goodall lauds this award-winning restoration in Dorset
You saw it here first
It’s not all about the gardens — John Hoyland profiles some of the plants that made their name at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show
In cloud cuckoo land
The evocative, echoing cuckoo’s call reverberating across the meadows heralds the arrival of spring for John Lewis-Stempel
Today’s pollen account
Hayfever sufferers may not agree, but Ian Morton argues that pollen’s contribution to life on earth is not to be sneezed at
A rainbow of ribbons
The maypole has been the source of merriment and mayhem for centuries, as Deborah Nicholls-Lee reveals
Stuart Procter’s favourite painting
The Beaumont Mayfair hotel CEO chooses an intriguing work with an air of mystery
The legacy
Amie Elizabeth White reveals how Constance Spry revolutionised flower-arranging a century ago
Interiors
Digital printing and panoramic wallpapers offer endless possibilities, learns Arabella Youens
Foraging
Poetry inspires John Wright, as he seeks out the saccharine, aniseed smack of sweet cicely
Arts & antiques
Carla Passino is captivated by the calming 19th-century landscapes of Utagawa Hiroshige, an artist who continues to inspire today
The Vietnam War effectively ended on 30 April 1975 with the arrival of the North Vietnamese army in Saigon. Thousands fled the city, but many more were left behind.
Renaissance Florence had a problem: it wanted female sex workers, but it also needed to offer them a way out. The solution was a new brothel district – and a nunnery for former prostitutes
The legendary birthplace of Siddhartha in Nepal beckons worshipers from around the world—and archaeologists hoping to uncover new evidence about the revered spiritual leader
In a world that consumes two billion cups of coffee each day, climate change is threatening the most popular species. How one leading botanist is scouring remote corners of the earth to find new beans that could keep our cups full
Long overlooked, Swedish painter Hilma af Klint made pioneering abstract art. Today she’s a global star—but some scholars insist she should be sharing the spotlight
Lanzarote: The Spanish island’s volcanic landscapes are beloved by artists, winemakers and hikers Sierra Leone: Stunningly biodiverse, the West African nation is finally opening up to travellers Brazil:In search of jaguars on the meandering waterways of the Brazilian Pantanal The Alps: Classic itineraries taking in the mountain range’s forests and fast-flowing streams Bangkok: Find peace away from the crowds in Thailand’s storied capital Panama City: The sparkling high-rises of this Central American metropolis conceal a fascinating history River Shannon: Village pubs and flower-filled meadows pepper this Irish waterway Portland, Maine: Innovative farmers are driving this coastal hub’s dining scene Lisbon: From pilgrims to party people, the Portuguese capital has stays for all types of visitor
News, Views and Reviews For The Intellectually Curious
Boomers Daily 