By James Bloodworth
COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE (May 7, 2025): The latest issue features ‘The Cotswolds Issue’…
An outpouring of joy
Jubilation and bittersweet tears greeted the end of hostilities in 1945, reports Octavia Pollock.
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.
LITERARY REVIEW (May 1, 2025): The latest issue features ‘Mad About Diana’…
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.
COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE (April 29, 2025): The latest issue features ‘The renaissance of the country house’ (1975-2025)…
A vibrant era for our country houses
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
HISTORY TODAY MAGAZINE (April 24, 2025): The latest issue features ‘The Fall of Saigon’ …
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.
When VE Day finally came in May 1945 it was met with relief, exhaustion, and cynicism. Was the Second World War really over?
Teodoro Castro or Iosif Grigulevich? Costa Rica’s ambassador to Yugoslavia was a Soviet spy sent to kill Tito.
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
SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE (April 4, 2025): The April/May 2025 features ‘In The Birthplace of the Buddha’ – What happens when Archaeologists and worshipers converge in the spiritual leader’s legendary Nepali hometown?
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
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER MAGAZINE (April 3, 2025): The May 2025 issue features Rocky Mountain hikes, railway journeys across bear country, sea-kayaking excursions through whale-churned waters — embrace the call of the wild with our latest issue.
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 detention of the popular Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu last month has sparked Turkey’s largest anti-government protests in years, with people gathering nightly amid violent clashes with police. But after thousands of arrests and with disagreements about how the protests should move forwards, the opposition movement is at a crossroads.
Amid concerns that Turkey may be slipping irretrievably towards full authoritarianism, Ruth Michaelson reports from Istanbul on how the detention of a popular young activist has caused particular anger among opponents of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government. Ruth also weighs up what options now lie ahead for the protest movement amid disagreements about the best way forward.
Spotlight | Myanmar, after the earthquake
With thousands now known to have been killed as a result of last Friday’s earthquake that struck near Mandalay, Rebecca Ratcliffe reports on fading hopes of finding more survivors
Environment | The power of dead seaweed
Rotting sargassum is clogging up Grenada’s beaches – but innovative technology is turning it into fuel, fertiliser and bioplastics. Natricia Duncan and Abigail McIntyre report
Feature | The rapid growth in beard transplants
Demand for beard transplant surgery is soaring – despite the dangers that lurk in unregulated clinics. Are the risks worth it? Simon Usborne investigates
Opinion | How to beat the far right
As a lonely, hate-filled kid in Sydney’s suburbs, Matthew Quinn turned to far-right ideology. Now he reveals how he helps others avoid that path
Culture | The return of FKA twigs
Despite global stardom, FKA twigs has always felt a lack of belonging. The musician opens up to Zoe Williams about f ighting censorship, crying on stage and performing for peanuts
COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE (April 1, 2025): The latest issue features ‘Smaller Country Houses’; The Maldives unpacked; How to grow a magnificent magnolia and The Portmeirion phenomenon and secret pillboxes…
Interiors
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’
Boomers Daily 