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
The art of conversation can be aided by a carefully configured drawing room, says Emma Burns of Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler
All ‘Clough-ed up’
Ben Lerwill marks 100 years of Portmeirion in North Wales, the outlandish architectural creation of Sir Clough Williams-Ellis
Property market
Arabella Youens casts her eye over compact country estates in Dorset, Devon and Hertfordshire
A prince among plantsmen
Charles Quest-Ritson is wowed by the memorable magnolias among the 6,000 plants in the Kent garden of Maurice Foster
Travel
Libby Brodie and Rosie Paterson explore the magnificent Maldives and Pamela Goodman shares not so fond memories of cheese fondue
Zoë Wanamaker’s favourite painting
The actress chooses a vibrant work bursting with the light, colour and energy of spring
A house of many inspirations
Jeremy Musson marvels at the amazing transformation of 300-year-old farm buildings at High Wardington House, Oxfordshire
The legacy
Kate Green pays tribute to Joe Henson, a ‘true gentleman’ who led the way in safeguarding some of our favourite native breeds
From this slumber you shall wake
Numbers have plummeted in the past 20 years, but plans are afoot to revive the fortunes of the hazel dormouse, reveals Jack Watkins
The good stuff
Immortalise your beloved pet in a beautiful piece of bespoke jewellery, suggests Hetty Lintell
London Life
Amie Elizabeth White embarks on the capital’s Big Egg Hunt, Country Life writers present all the titbits you need to know this month and Huon Mallalieu takes a trip down memory lane as he recalls the colourful characters of Booksellers’ Row
Foraging
John Wright lauds elderflower for its ‘scent beyond compare’
Arts & antiques
Carla Passino delves into the beauty, birds and beasts in the kingdom of J. M. W. Turner
Close to your chest
Huon Mallalieu investigates how the chest of drawers has gradually made itself at home in every room of the house
A song of the four seasons
Henrietta Bredin applauds the fusing of poetry and music in the exquisite song cycle ‘Seasons’
COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE (March 11, 2025): The cover of Country Life’s 12 March 2025 issue, featuring The Garden Hall at Pitshill House, West Sussex, as photographed by Paul Whitbread.
Water you wading for?
The village pond, once the hub around which community life revolved, is being reinvented as a ‘superpower’ habitat for rare species, finds Vicky Liddell
Sorry seems to be the easiest word
Deborah Nicholls-Lee makes no apology for asking why there is nothing more British than saying sorry (up to eight times a day, we regret to say)
Two’s company, three’s a crowd farmer
Jane Wheatley is impressed by a new European project linking farmers direct to consumers in an effort to ensure fair pricing
Peak sugar
Harry Pearson is sweet on Kendal Mint Cake, the original energy snack that is still going strong after conquering Everest and crossing the Antarctic
Arts & antiques
Nature’s beauty and vulnerability are laid bare in a new exhibition at Chatsworth in Derbyshire, as Carla Passino discovers
Josh Eggleton’s favourite painting
The chef and restaurant owner chooses a contemporary collage that keeps the viewer guessing
Like cats on a hot tin roof
A feline stand-off in a Wiltshire farmyard has echoes of tax and trade talks for Minette Batters
Gothic splendours
John Goodall hails the rebirth of Victorian gem Allerton Castle in North Yorkshire, some two decades after a devastating fire
The legacy
Kate Green lauds the brilliant, but tragically brief blooming of cello prodigy Jacqueline du Pré
The red army
Ian Morton reveals why we don’t want wood ants in our pants
The good stuff
Pretty pastels are back for spring, so think pink, says Hetty Lintell
Bring me everlasting flowers
Catriona Gray meets a man crafting blooms from coppiced hazel
If you want colour…
Picture-perfect primulas offer an easy way to festoon the garden with a kaleidoscope of colour, suggests Charles Quest-Ritson
Foraging
John Wright savours the peppery crunch and kick of black mustard, but he’ll never pick it in Yeovil
It’s a Scream
The wild work of Edvard Munch betrayed a troubled soul, but the Norwegian artist found salvation in Nature, declares Jessica Lack
A host of luminaries that were born in 1775 still shape British identity some 250 years on, as Matthew Dennison discovers
A horse walks into a bar…
Jack Watkins raises a glass to the Cheltenham superstars immortalised in the bars and restaurants at Prestbury Park
Interiors
Amelia Thorpe cooks up a real treat with the latest inspiration and innovations for the kitchen
London Life
– Amie Elizabeth White celebrates 100 years of the Dickens museum, plus Country Life’s guide to the best baked goods in the capital
Arts & antiques
Charles Dance talks to Carla Passino about Michelangelo, mentoring and why the Sistine chapel is like playing King Lear
The good, the bad and the ugly
Michael Hall delves into the genius of Michelangelo, at once the enfant prodige and enfant terribile of theRenaissance
Simon Martin’s favourite painting
The art-gallery director selects a beguiling 17th-century miniature revealing a connection to Nature
A regal renewal
John Goodall hails the revival of Restoration House in Kent, a magnificent property that welcomed Charles II in 1660
The legacy
Agnes Stamp hails the ‘British Barnum’ Charles Cruft, whose dog show is still best in class
Shiver me timbers
The once-popular black poplar could be our secret weapon in the battle against climate change, finds Vicky Liddell
The good stuff
Hetty Lintell’s top tips on what to wear to the Cheltenham Festival
And it was all yellow
Charles Quest-Ritson brightens his day with the cheerful flowers of the ever-dependable forsythia
Sharp practice
The thorny old issue of pruning roses, with Charles Quest-Ritson
Foraging
Is tapping birch-tree sap worth the bother, asks John Wright
Travel
Emma Love shares the latest cruise news, Imogen West-Knights finds everything shipshape in the South of France, John Niven follows in the wake of Mr Mississippi Mark Twain and Pamela Goodman’s birthday treats take on a life of their own
Kate Green celebrates the Revd Gilbert White, the original ecologist whose 1789 book on flora and fauna has never been out of print
Mad as a box of frogs
Our amphibious friends were once thought to possess mystical powers and they now aid the advance of medicine, as Ian Morton discovers
The ghost of golden daffodils
David Jones traces the fall and rise of the Tenby daffodil — all but extinct in the wild, but making a return as a cultivated bloom
The lure of Venice
Matthew Dennison investigates Britain’s long-standing love affair with the Italian maritime republic, fuelled by Canaletto’s enchanting, kaleidoscopic vedute
Playing the fool
Who could have foreseen the influence of tarot cards down the ages? Deborah Nicholls-Lee delves into decks and divination
Dr Ximena Fuentes Torrijo’s favourite painting
The Ambassador of Chile picks a vast, dreamlike Surrealist work that portrays a turbulent world.
A sense of delight
John Goodall marvels at the outstanding array of new and restored buildings on the grand Aldourie estate in Inverness-shire
Snakes and snails and puppy-dog tales
Matthew Dennison pays tribute to Peter and Iona Opie, who pre-served much-loved folklore and fairy tales for future generations
The good stuff
Work out in style with Hetty Lintell’s elegant exercise picks
Interiors
Amelia Thorpe shares the best of London Design Week wares, plus an elegant room with a view
Shaping the view
Tiffany Daneff admires the vista of rural Northamptonshire from the delightful Modernist garden created for a converted cart house
Foraging
Listen in as John Wright shares his thoughts on wood ears, the fungus with a gelatinous texture
Arts & antiques
Thomas Girtin’s exquisite landscapes were a match for Turner before the artist was cut down in his prime, reveals Carla Passino
History triumphs over invention
A brilliantly acted historical play conquers overproduced Greek mythology for Michael Billington
Greenland: Meet the communities working to preserve Inuit culture for future generations Portugal: Roman relics and pagan festivities on a road trip through the untamed north Kerala: A photographer’s journey among the tranquil backwaters and perfumed spice farms of Kochi Southern Mexico: A guide to the region’s immense jungles, ancient settlements and distinct cuisine Hong Kong: Beyond the urban sprawl, adventures abound in the form of kayaking and intrepid hikes Glasgow: Warm yourself in the Scottish city’s art galleries and era-defining music venues Essaouira: Myriad cultures have made this Moroccan port city a hub for art and music Cognac: A change is under way in the French region’s restaurants and distilleries Salzburg: Fairytale stays for every taste, from lovers of old-school luxury to fans of TheSound of Music
Plus, new travel routes for spring; fresh hiking opportunities on Australia’s Whitsunday Islands; Bradford’s year as the UK City of Culture; a taste of Amorgos, Greece; a lighthouse retreat on Italy’s Tuscan coast; an insider’s guide to Ibiza Town; island adventures in Brač, Croatia; globetrotting books about love and obsession, running essentials to put a spring in your step; and a historical getaway in the Welsh Marches.
The non-stop English springer is still our number one working spaniel, reveals Matthew Dennison, as he delves into this enthusiastic, energetic breed
Snake, rattle and roll
Rob Crossan investigates the deeply spiritual origins of that enduring family board-game favourite Snakes and Ladders
Heard it on the radio
The wireless broke new ground as the first form of home-based mass entertainment and is still going strong in the age of the smart speaker, finds Ben Lerwill
Friends with benefits
Nematodes are a natural way to halt the march of all manner of garden pests and Charles Quest-Ritson is a convert
Mould and behold
Josiah Wedgwood was a brilliant businessman with a remarkable social conscience. Tristram Hunt assesses his life and legacy
Catch us if you can
Owain Jones sizes up six of the best as he picks out the players to watch in this year’s Guinness Six Nations rugby extravaganza
Roger Morgan-Grenville’s favourite painting
The conservation campaigner selects a work that inspired his lifelong obsession with seabirds
A Palladian premonition
Richard Hewlings offers a fresh analysis of the architecture at Bramham Park, a highly original West Yorkshire country house
The legacy
Kate Green remembers Robert FitzRoy, the founder of the Met Office whose name lives on in the BBC’s Shipping Forecast
Dear country diary
Paul Fleckney flicks through The Guardian’s Country Diary, which has offered a snapshot of rural life for more than 120 years
Interiors
The best stoves and fireplaces picked by Amelia Thorpe, plus the alternatives to burning logs
Luxury
Hetty Lintell’s top timepieces and James Haskell’s favourite things
Magnificent mahonias
Charles Quest-Ritson makes the case for mahonias, arguing that their pleasantly scented flowers are a seasonal delight
Kitchen garden cook
Melanie Johnson pairs peppery horseradish with salmon fillets
Ring-dove beauteous!
John Lewis-Stempel coos over the much-maligned wood pigeon, that canny, keen-eyed and fast-flying stalwart of our countryside
SUNDAY MORNING (January 26, 2025): Comedian and actress Susie Essman was a kid from the Bronx, and maintains a devotion to this monumental, magical and, at times, maligned slice of the Big Apple.
She takes “Sunday Morning” viewers on a tour, joined by such Bronx luminaries as writer and humorist Ian Frazier, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, actor and playwright Chazz Palminteri, rapper and entrepreneur Fat Joe, and Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson.
News, Views and Reviews For The Intellectually Curious
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