The romance and glamour of taking a trip on an original steam train is hard to resist, and all the more so when paired with fine dining and opulent surroundings. Octavia Pollock took a trip to find out more.
As the 2024 Prroms get under way, we take a look at the man who began this great British summer institution: Henry Wood.
This intimate Cotswolds hotel is fast becoming known for its food and is dog friendly to boot, says Country Life's Octavia Pollock.
To commemorate 80 years since the D-Day landings of June 6, 1944, military charity Blind Veterans UK is paying tribute to the men and women who served in that decisive operation with portraits of survivors, overlaid against images taken at the time they remember too well.
The Stevenson family saved countless thousands of lives off the coast of Scotland with their network of hundreds of lighthouses — and their designs made life safer for sailors around the globe.
Learning a language is one thing, getting to grips with a pig in a poke is another altogether. Octavia Pollock explores some of our best idioms
Octavia Pollock passes through the portals of Babylonstoren and enters an enchanted world of ancient plants, fine wine and historic design, where every element, from scented field to owl box and beechnut path, contributes to the farm-to-table ethos.
Seventy years ago, on the eve of the Queen’s coronation, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of Everest. Octavia Pollock considers the legacy of their achievement and what it meant for British mountaineering.
The artisans at Rolls-Royce spend millions of hours each year producing the world's most exclusive cars, and personalising each one to fulfil the dreams of their well-heeled clients. To mark International Women's Day, Octavia Pollock visited the factory to meet some of the female craftspeople at the heart of the process, from the endlessly patient embroiderers to the steel-nerved artist who paints the coach line by hand on each vehicle.
Those people who say 'never meet your heroes' have clearly never run into Mary King, says Octavia Pollock, as she heads off on a horseback trail with the equestrian and Olympian.
The sports commentator Andrew Cotter on the startling rise to fame for his labradors.
If you're looking for a spot to lay your head in West Sussex, The Halfway Bridge seems a tempting and brilliantly located spot between Midhurst and Petworth. Octavia Pollock paid a visit.
Pictures should ‘fill a man’s soul with admiration and sheer joy’, Sir Alfred Munnings famously said. Octavia Pollock charts his eventful life and argues that he perhaps does not receive the credit he deserves for the enjoyment his varied and vivid work has brought.
Octavia Pollock checks into Rothay Manor in Ambleside, Cumbria.
Our capital city is more inviting for walkers than you might expect, with meadows, towpaths, unexpected sculpture and great houses to draw the eye. Octavia Pollock sets off to explore London on foot.
Keen sailors ahoy! Octavia Pollock shares tips for those looking to enjoy a watery getaway in Charlestown, on Cornwall's south coast.
Country Life's Octavia Pollock rode in the Magnolia Cup at Glorious Goodwood, the charity race for female amateur jockeys which is one of the highlights of the meeting. She tells the tale of what it's been like to take on this gruelling but hugely-rewarding physical and mental challenge.
Raymond Blanc's cookery school is running online cookery classes, with live advice beamed to your kitchen from Le Manoir aux Quat-Saisons. Octavia Pollock gave it a try.
The High Weald AONB's rolling landscape is the archetypal image many of us have of rural England. Octavia Pollock takes a look.
Cannock Chase is the smallest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Britain. Octavia Pollock takes a closer look.
