The £3 million Van Dyck painting going under the hammer with a unique buy-one-get-one-free offer

If you've ever dreamed of owning an Anthony van Dyck, now's your chance to pick up two in one go — plus more fun from today's Dawn Chorus.

11 truly sensational properties across the world, from a Mallorcan mill to an Australian waterfall, including a beachfront villa for just £230,000

Glorious homes from the Bahamas to British Columbia, as seen in Country Life.

The Legacy: Hans Sloane and the creation of the British Museum

A curious child who grew into a man of voracious intellectual curiosity, his life of collecting gave birth to one of the nation's great institutions.

A huge bubbling, burping, living thing: The rise (and rise) of sourdough starters

‘We look after not only our recipes, but our starters themselves — the forces of nature that keep us all going’

100 years of the Shipping Forecast, winning the war on antibiotics and the world's best young cheesemonger

Plus a sublime Scottish castle, how to address people correctly and the quiz of the day.

The end of deference: Why using the right title matters

It might be an 'old-world problem', but using incorrect form when addressing someone is a symptom of laziness and inaccuracy that we should all worry about.

The (royal) seal of approval: Shoes, hats, socks, whiskies and a gold dachshund.

Shop with the blessing of royalty, as Hetty Lintell chooses luxuries made by companies with a Royal Warrant.

Minette Batters: 'There are serious questions to be asked as to whether the advice given to ministers is correct'

The former NFU President and crossbench peer worries about the effects of the latest budget, and asks why we can't test whether farmers are actually farming.

What if a castle was old, but also brand new? What then?

Crenellations, stone and soaring towers on the outside, modern interiors with the latest appliances on the inside. Brankstone Grange Castle has it all.