Category Archives: Travel

History, Magazines, Photography, Tours, Travel

TRAVELLER MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER 2026 PREVIEW

August 7, 2026 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

National Geographic Traveller (UK) September 2026 issue available on newsstands now

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘Italy’ – Experience a sliver of local life on the Italian islands, whether that means soaking up the art on display in Italy’s first Capital of Contemporary Art or exploring the coral-rich waters of the Tremiti Islands.

Also inside this issue:

Uzbekistan: Unearth the legacy of the Silk Road on a journey in the footsteps of merchants and nomads
Azores:On these remote Atlantic islands, a culture of self-reliance has generated a distinct food culture
Rwanda: Thriving art, food and fashion scenes are putting the spotlight on the capital, Kigali
Lake Titicaca: Experience a homestay with this this high-altitude Peruvian lake’s weaving communities
Music Trips: We round up eight of the best experiences for crate-diggers, opera aficionados and more
Uluru: Hike through the Outback on an Indigenous-led hike ending at Australia’s sacred monolith
Tetouan& Tamuda Bay: Jagged peaks and Mediterranean waters meet in this quiet Moroccan corner
Somerset: In search of the farmers and cider brewers championing the county’s best-loved tipple
Manchester: The Northern powerhouse’s industrial heritage lives on in its booming hotel scene
Boston:Get to know Massachusetts’ capital through its revolutionary heroes and sporting legends

Culture, History, Homes, Magazines, Reviews, Travel

COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE – AUGUST 5, 2026 PREVIEW

August 4, 2026 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE: The latest issue features…

The legacy

Kate Green salutes Scotsman John Muir, national-parks pioneer

Floating on cloud nine

John Lewis-Stempel turns his eyes to the sky as he marvels at the myriad forms of cirrus, stratus, altocumulus and more

Spreads from Country Life August 5, 2026

Winging it

The sparrowhawk is the silent assassin of the Unloved Birds’ Club. Mark Cocker investigates its effect on songbird numbers

A princely project

Garden restoration and creation have combined to glorious effect at the Palace of Bishop Auckland in Co Durham, finds Mary Keen

Wendy Holden’s favourite painting

The author chooses a work that changed the course of history

Country-house treasure

A curious cabinet of Catholic dolls catches the eye of John Goodall at Browsholme Hall, Lancashire

A life in architecture

Clive Aslet assesses the stellar career of Quinlan Terry, hailed The King’s favourite architect

It’s written on the wind

Larch disease — which is spread through water and air — is the latest threat to our woodlands, reports Matt Ramsden

A kiss from a rosé

English wine producers are in the pink as their blushing still and sparkling tipples fly off the shelves, reveals Emma Hughes

Dressing for success

With a sprinkle of salt here and a drizzle of olive oil there, Tom Parker Bowles works his magic on the most humble of salads

Luxury

Amie Elizabeth White smells the incense and rides a nauti-cal wave for summer style

Interiors

Arabella Youens applauds a pied-à-terre transformed and Amelia Thorpe eyes standout ceramics

London Life

Will Hosie turns green with envy, seeks the perfect pad and reels around the capital, plus our writers have all you need to know this month

‘It must have seemed like Disneyland to the Victorians’

Horsepower has been hauling the trams of the Isle of Man for 150 years. Octavia Pollock is invited to go behind the scenes

Travel

Pamela Goodman visits Schloss Dyck in Germany and unearths a Scotsman’s garden in bloom

Arts & antiques

‘Fowl, fish and beasts’ were staple subjects for sporting artist Francis Barlow, as Carla Passino learns

In a glass of its own

Corinne Julius admires the talented British artists heating up the world of studio glass

And much more

Culture, History, Homes, Magazines, Reviews, Travel

COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE – JULY 29, 2026 PREVIEW

July 28, 2026 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE: The latest issue features…

All the small things

We overlook the importance of insects at our peril, says Charles Harris, as he marvels at the fruit flies that share our genes and the moths that supply strands of silk

A room with a clue

Deborah Nicholls-Lee searches high and low for the concealed rooms and secret spaces that are an intriguing quirk of so many British country houses

Luxury

Facials, fragrance and bold and beautiful summer jewellery with Amie Elizabeth White, plus a few of the Duchess of Beaufort’s favourite things

Born to be wild

Charles Quest-Ritson visits East Lambrook Manor in Somerset and is heartened to find the home of Margery Fish’s ‘jungle gardening’ in good hands

Vicki Anstey’s favourite painting

The adventurer chooses a work showcasing human resilience

Country-house treasure

John Goodall surveys artworks by the Staithes Group — the first English Impressionists — at Brockfield Hall, North Yorkshire

Revival and renewal

In the second of two articles, John Goodall explores James Wyatt’s influence on the interiors at Curraghmore in Co Waterford

The legacy

Kate Green lauds Benjamin Britten’s lasting impact on Arts and culture in his beloved Suffolk

Winging it

Mark Cocker examines the folklore and infamy of the magpie

Where there’s a grill, there’s a way

John Lewis-Stempel reads the smoke signals as a barbecue fires up Neolithic nostalgia

Alders and betters

Alnus glutinosa is an ancient pioneer species with a key role to play on our riverbanks, as Vicky Liddell discovers

Interiors

Arabella Youens admires the colour and comfort added to a Jersey farmhouse and a splash of zest is best for Amelia Thorpe

Travel

Rosie Paterson enjoys an island paradise off France’s Côte d’Azur

Arts & antiques

Grégoire the grey toad brings a wealth of pleasure to Frederick Fischer, Lalique UK managing director, as he tells Carla Passino

A kind of magic

Multi-talented, multi-disciplinary artist Es Devlin shares the secret of her success with Corinne Julius

And much more

Culture, History, Homes, Magazines, Reviews, Travel

COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE – JULY 22, 2026 PREVIEW

July 22, 2026 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE: The latest issue features…

Meet Peggy, Britain’s naughtiest dog

Agnes Stamp meets the cereal-snaffling, bed-wrecking, turkey-wrangling miniature bull terrier who took the title—and rounds up the best (or worst) of the rest

The 39 steps to being a good dog owner

From clamping down on begging to sweetening bad breath, William Hanson presents his guide to modern pet-iquette

Ian Seath’s favourite painting

The Royal Kennel Club chairman chooses a work that celebrates canine collaboration with humans

Pup and coming

There have never been so many options for pampering your pooch. Mary Skipwith explores the rapidly evolving world of canine luxury

Country-house treasure

John Goodall marvels at the extensive 18th-century library at Powderham Castle in Devon

The legacy

Kate Green applauds Enid Blyton for dreaming up the spirited adventures of the Famous Five

A power in the landscape

In the first of two articles, John Goodall explores the early history of Curraghmore in Co Waterford, one of Ireland’s great houses

Bone appétit

Why settle for discarded street snacks when there is succulent chicken on the menu, asks Jack Russell Maud Parker Bowles

Interiors

Arabella Youens investigates interiors designed with pets in mind and Amelia Thorpe shares accessories for the (dog) house

Winging it

Why can’t we learn to love the wood pigeon, asks Mark Cocker

You got me there

David Profumo pursues tricky brown trout in a day on the Test

Everything bar the Oompa Loompas

Harry Pearson visits The Oldest Sweet Shop in England, which has traded in treats since 1827

Luxury

Fruity accessories offer rich pickings for Amie Elizabeth White

Colour for all seasons

Kathryn Bradley-Hole admires the spectacular successional planting in the new gardens of The Copper House in Kent

Travel

Steven King savours the spirit of the Hebrides and the natural beauty of the Isle of Harris during a stay at historic Rodel House

Arts & antiques

The rise of service à la russe in the 19th century turned the tables in upper-class British dining, discovers Carla Passino

To say nothing of the dog

Michael Prodger examines the history of canines on canvas and reveals how artists have warmed to Man’s best friend

Culture, History, Homes, Magazines, Reviews, Travel

COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE – JULY 15, 2026 PREVIEW

July 15, 2026 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE: The latest issue features the magic, power and beauty of water, pays tribute to the king of British powerboating and enjoys the Victorian splendour of Scarborough.

Why our water is going down the drain

Investment, organisation and effort can guarantee secure water supplies for everyone in Britain, argues Lord Deben

The power of water

Kate Green surveys the surging strength of the Severn Bore, the haunting beauty of the flooded Somerset Levels, life on the edge at Dawlish and the capital’s mighty Thames Barrier.

Why every drop counts

People who work with water tell Kate Green and Mary Skipwith why we need to reconnect with our most precious resource

Up with the gulls, to bed with the owl

Patrick Galbraith experiences an eventful day in the life of the ever-changing, but enduringly beautiful Cley estuary in Norfolk

On peak form

Artists such as Turner, Bierstadt and Wolf took painting to new heights with their depictions of mountains, finds Michael Prodger

Let all the world sing

The 2026 BBC Proms promises to be a truly global spectacle, as Henrietta Bredin discovers

The queen of spas

Scarborough in North Yorkshire is the original Victorian seaside resort. Kathryn Ferry charts the development of its spa complex

The Revd Sam Wells’s favourite painting

The St Martin-in-the-Fields vicar chooses a painting where ‘magnificent humanity’ is laid bare

Country-house treasure

John Goodall unearths evidence of Bowood in Wiltshire’s wartime role as a ‘beacon of recovery’

Pooling assets

George Plumptre is charmed by the Anglo-Italian landscape at Renishaw Hall in Derbyshire

The legacy

Agnes Stamp pays tribute to speed merchant Sir Max Aitken, the king of British powerboating

Winging it

Mark Cocker assesses the anti-social antics of the herring gull

Luxury

Jonathan Self ponders the power of fine jewellery and Amie Elizabeth White finds coral for all

Interiors

Arabella Youens visits a kitchen giving a nod to history, and reveals that chequerboard floors are back

Travel

Rosie Paterson is looking for a New England in Nantucket

Arts & antiques

Carla Passino investigates the intriguing tale of ‘Mad Madge’, a pioneer of science-fiction

Truth, lies and somewhere in between

Michael Billington delves into a world of deceit and infidelity

Culture, History, Homes, Magazines, Reviews, Travel

COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE – JULY 8, 2026 PREVIEW

July 7, 2026 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘The Experts’ Experts’ – Country Life asks architects, designers and specialists on its Top 100 list to delve into their little black books to reveal the talented craftspeople and suppliers they turn to for inspiration on their own projects…

Magazine spread from Country Life 8 July 2026

Why haste creates waste

Hold off on that online-shopping impulse buy — there’s no substitute for carefully crafted quality

It’s getting hot in here

Ben Lerwill sets his tastebuds a-tingling as he meets the British chilli-sauce makers adding to the spice of life

Luxury

If you only buy one suitcase, make it a classic GlobeTrotter, suggests Amie Elizabeth White

Winging it

Mark Cocker looks beyond the raven’s grim reputation to seek the truth about our largest corvid

Sir Lindsay Hoyle’s favourite painting

The Speaker of the House of Commons is captivated by the Westminster riverfront in a work with a photographic quality

On top of the world

Kirsty Fergusson applauds the stamina of the hardy souls who tend the spectacular clifftop gardens at Chygurno, Cornwall

Country-house treasure

John Goodall stands in the stead of William Tyndale behind a preacher’s pulpit at Bucklebury House in Berkshire

The legacy

Agnes Stamp salutes Agnes Marshall, the Queen of Ices

While the cat’s away…

David Glasper lifts the lid on the cat flap, the means by which the regal feline can come and go precisely as it pleases

An architectural evolution

Jeremy Musson charts the rise of Selwyn College, Cambridge, from its origins as a memorial to a 19th-century missionary

The raw deal

Tom Parker Bowles savours the lip-smacking summer freshness of that Peruvian classic ceviche

Travel

Rosie Paterson unpacks the latest in luxury-yacht looks and follows in Frida Kahlo’s footsteps

Arts & antiques

Beauty and function were fused in the form of the sedan chair, the conveyance of choice for the upper echelons of Georgian society, reveals Carla Passino

Art to dine for

Intriguing art can be a meal-time conversation starter in country-house dining rooms, as Melanie Cable-Alexander discovers

Catch of the day

Collector Paul Martin shares his tips on amassing a school of exquisite antiquarian fish prints

Culture, History, Homes, Magazines, Travel

COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE – JUNE 24, 2026 PREVIEW

June 23, 2026 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘Red Alert’ – Why you should buy Bordeaux now…

The legacy: Edmund Halley

Kate Green celebrates the astronomical achievements of Edmond Halley, who calculated the orbits of some 24 comets

Weeding out the wildflowers

John Lewis-Stempel explores Ralph Waldo Emerson’s view of a weed as ‘a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered’

The great escape

When wandering Ouessant ram Max goes walkabout, it makes for a testing shearing day for John Lewis-Stempel

On red alert

History suggests that Bordeaux is best in years ending in a five — and 2025 is promising to maintain the sequence, says Harry Eyres

Country Life International

Jack Watkins treads in the foot-steps of Lord Byron in Ravenna, Corinne Julius is seduced by ceramics in Puglia, Holly Kirkwood seeks out the best properties for sale, Anna Tyzack finds artistic inspiration in Mallorca and Russell Higham charts the story of the Scarlatti dynasty in Naples

Portraits of a lady

Obsessively painting her own image helped Frida Kahlo confront the pain that blighted her life, reveals Jessica Lack

Peter Layton’s favourite painting

The artist has his head in the clouds of a van Gogh classic

Country-house treasure

John Goodall takes a shine to an exceptional example of Italian craftsmanship at Highclere Castle in Hampshire

Wedded to the landscape

Kathryn Ferry commends the labour of love that Clough and Amabel Williams-Ellis created at Plas Brondanw in Gwynedd

Shepherd’s delight

Skies streaked with crimson hues are a spectacular sight for Deborah Nicholls-Lee

Winging it

Mark Cocker profiles the white-tailed eagle, the apex predator of the Unloved Birds’ Club

Luxury

Amie Elizabeth White eyes Egyptian jewels and Sir Quentin Blake clothing, plus a few of Corin Mellor’s favourite things

Interiors

Arabella Youens admires a restful bedroom transformation and Giles Kime celebrates the graceful ageing of verdigris

Seasons to be cheerful

Caroline Donald applauds the invention and imagination at play in the glorious gardens of Broadwoodside, East Lothian

Travel

Jo Rodgers unearths sheltered combes and steep coastlines as she heads far from the madding crowds in south Devon

Arts & antiques

Carla Passino meets Scotland’s first warriors as a new exhibition explores the long, bloody history of conflict north of the Border

Culture, History, Homes, Magazines, Travel

COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE – JUNE 17, 2026 PREVIEW

June 16, 2026 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

Cover of Country Life June 17, 2026, featuring Van Gogh's Irises

COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘Why the iris charmed Van Gogh’; How Holbein survived Henry VIII; Making super salads; Piers of the realm: the British love of the seaside…

Everything, everywhere, all at once

Irises have inspired great artists from Vincent van Gogh to Sir Cedric Morris. Michael Prodger examines the flower’s allure

Green with envy

Why not take a leaf out of Tom Parker Bowles’s book and sample the very best salad flavours from around the world?

Pier into the future

Our seaside piers are the great survivors of the Victorian age and many are thriving in the 21st century, reveals Jonathan Lee

Arts & antiques

It is 500 years since artist Hans Holbein arrived on these shores, yet we remain captivated by his portraits, finds Carla Passino

Louise Farina’s favourite painting

The perfumer senses the zest of an Italian spring morning in a still life celebrating citrus fruit

Country-house treasure

John Goodall sees High Church spirit in a handwritten Bible at Treberfydd House in Brecon

History and fantasy

In the second of two articles, John Goodall delves into the fable-meets-fact history of Warwick Castle, Warwickshire

The legacy

Octavia Pollock adds a dash of colour to the illustrious history of Winsor & Newton, supplier to the stars of the art world

The importance of being Ernst

Ernst Vegelin van Claerbergen, head of the Courtauld Gallery, is optimistic about the future of the Arts, as he tells Carla Passino

Winging it

A beauty or a beast? Mark Cocker investigates how the exotic pheasant splits opinion

Luxury

Jonathan Self explores the royal enthusiasm for amethyst and Amie Elizabeth White weaves in some summer essentials

Interiors

An open-plan makeover wows Arabella Youens, plus perfect pitchers with Amelia Thorpe

Simply perfect

A 20-year revival of the Arts-and-Crafts garden at Fonthill House in Wiltshire catches the eye of Christopher Stocks

Travel

Sophia Money-Coutts savours all the fun of Florida on a trip to the party town of Palm Beach

A new sense of purpose

Robin Hereford is calling for a revival in the fortunes of brown furniture — pieces with style and sustainability on their side

A wrinkle in time

A new generation of American collectors is being charmed by exquisite English antique furniture, discovers Patrick Monahan

Cooking up a storm

Michael Billington is blown away by the RSC’s Tempest starring Sir Kenneth Branagh, but High Society delights without dazzling

History, Magazines, Photography, Reviews, Travel

SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE – SUMMER 2026 PREVIEW

June 8, 2026 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘America at 250’ – The Revolutionary Spark. Celebrating the Daring Innovators & Visionary Insights That Forged A Nation.

George Washington Steps Down

Ted Scheinman

George Washington’s announcement that he wouldn’t seek a third presidential term helped define modern statesmanship: The Republic had no need for a king, even an American one. Writing from Europe, John Quincy Adams prayed the president’s retirement might “serve as the foundation upon which the whole system of [America’s] future policy may rise.” Washington’s decision set an informal precedent that largely held until term limits were codified by the 22nd Constitutional Amendment, ratified in 1951. Still, at the time of his farewell address, Washington’s opponents had serious complaints. Though Washington belonged to no party, he was associated with the Federalists—and many Anti-Federalist thinkers chastised the outgoing president for disparaging his ideological rivals while claiming neutrality. This dispute played out in newspapers and pamphlets—back when publishers always chose a side.

Among All the Great Things Benjamin Franklin Invented or Discovered, His Alter Egos Gave Him the Most Freedom

Silence Dogood. Richard Saunders. Benevolus. Sidi Mehemet Ibrahim. All were pen names that allowed Franklin to say things he couldn’t have otherwise said

Harriet Beecher Stowe Wrote a Work of Fiction That Seemed So Real That It Changed the History of the Country

To fight against slavery, the author collected true stories then picked up a pen and distilled them into “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”

Culture, History, Homes, Magazines, Travel

COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE – JUNE 3, 2026 PREVIEW

June 3, 2026 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘Constable Country’ – The places the painter loved….

Taking the scenic route

History, hauntings and high-jinx figured in Britain’s first motoring guides, finds Jack Watkins

What a Derby day

Epsom hosts one of racing’s most thrilling spectacles. Jack Watkins picks 10 of the best winners

Monaco

Adam Hay-Nicholls explores the changing face of Monaco, Steven King treads the Prince Rainier III sculpture trail, Arabella Youens seeks out the best properties for sale in the Principality and Mark Hedges cruises serenely into town

His green and pleasant land

John Constable painted places he knew and loved the best. Susan Owens examines how insight influenced his landscapes

Outstanding in their fields

From ‘shoy hoys’ to Worzel Gummidge, Aeneas Dennison traces the story of scarecrows

Andy Wilman’s favourite painting

The television producer chooses a work that reveals a human response to the brutality of war

Country-house treasure

A godfatherly gift ensures that Sir Edwin Lutyens and Shilstone House in Devon are happy bed-fellows, discovers John Goodall

Building on the past

In the second of two articles, John Goodall reveals how Elizabethan Doddington Hall is thriving into the 21st century

The legacy

Octavia Pollock profiles Percy Shaw, the inventor of cat’s eyes, the 20th century’s top design

Winging it

The feral pigeon’s modern-day scavenging masks a more valiant history, suggests Mark Cocker

Drawn to the land

Katharine Freeland meets artists who are mapping estates in an echo of traditional landowners

London Life

Jack Watkins strolls the streets that became an artist’s muse, our writers have all you need to know this month, Will Hosie shares seven of the best homes on the market and Rupert Clague charts the rise of the capital’s coffee houses