The spirit of the age
In the first of two articles, John Goodall explores Holkham Hall in Norfolk, the apotheosis of a grand gentleman’s seat
The new bronze age
Across the land, compelling modern sculptures, from hares to minotaurs, are catching the eye, finds Anna Tyzack
My field of dreams
Former gamekeeper Simon Lester shows what can be done for Nature in his wildlife-abundant three-acre meadow
Sweet with the evening rain
Few scents are more evocative than petrichor, but what is the science behind the magic? Martin Fone investigates
London Life
Prince Albert, a trail of statues in the east, ice creams for all and Zeb Soanes’s secret city
1970s Notebook
Melanie Bryan on what topics made the pages of Country Life, from printers’ strikes to Red Rum and a cheeky pheasant
The fire this time
Carla Carlisle grows to fear the advance of wind-whipped flames
Rachel Trevor-Morgan’s favourite painting
The royal milliner chooses an enchanting Society portrait
Masterpiece
Jack Watkins admires the work of countryman and naturalist artist Charles Tunnicliffe
Interiors
An airy kitchen and stylish stools
The good stuff
Hetty Lintell goes for gingham
Planting stories
Author Justine Picardie’s Old Rectory, Norfolk, designed with Chelsea winner Jo Thompson, is a haven full of stories
Kitchen garden cook
Melanie Johnson bakes with fresh, juicy raspberries
Friend or foe?
The instinctive reaction on seeing yellow ragwort is to pull it up, but should we be so quick to judge, asks Ian Morton
And much more.