An officer and a gentleman
Smooth fox terriers are ‘mischief on four legs’ and boast character in abundance, as Flora Watkins discovers from devoted owners of these smart and charming dogs
Knock on wood
Woodpeckers have been busy hammering out the beat of our broad-leaved woodland for millennia. Vicky Liddell takes a closer look at these striking birds
What goes up, must come down
John Lewis-Stempel laments the ups and downs of Lake District fell walking in February as he goes from scampering mountain goat to plodding dobbin
There’s gold in them thar schools
Churchill’s art, Shackleton’s boat and Turing’s reports — Madeleine Silver unearths the treasures belonging to Britain’s schools
Survival of the exceptional
How can independent schools prevent VAT on fees being the ‘straw that breaks the camel’s back’, asks Lucy Higginson
Sir Stephen Hough’s favourite painting
The classical pianist and composer chooses a virtuoso work from the mid 15th century
A glimpse of the sublime
John Goodall gains an insight into the era of Grand Tourism in the restored drawing room at Russborough in Co Wicklow
The legacy
Octavia Pollock applauds Ralph Allen, Bath’s ‘benevolent man’
You belong with me
Revd Colin Heber-Percy reflects on getting lost — and found — in Wiltshire’s Savernake For-est
Luxury
Hetty Lintell has all the ingredients for a wonderful wedding day, plus India Knight’s favourite things
Interiors
Author Ros Byam Shaw tells Arabella Youens how small and beautiful can go hand in hand
A brush with snowdrops
John Morley is calling it a day after growing and drawing Galanthus for 40 years, reports Tilly Ware
Foraging
Harness the raw power of bitter-cress to pep up the humble salad, suggests John Wright
Arts & antiques
Stuart Lochhead is revealed as a man behind the masks — Carla Passino talks to the art dealer about his passion for disguise
As good as gold
Glittering 14th-century works by Sienese artists influenced art far beyond the bounds of the Italian city, reveals Mary Miers
Book your place
The Country Life guide to open days at 50 schools across Britain
And much more
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How to make a bay and vanilla crème brûlée custard tartElevate your everyday vanilla crème brûlée by infusing it with delicate bay.
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A new National Gallery exhibition shines a light on Siena’s brief, but dazzling golden ageIn the space of 100 years, Siena's artists redefined painting as an art form and laid the foundations for Renaissance.
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Ladybirds, the Nobel Prize, and who wrote 'Greensleeves'? Country Life Quiz of the Day, March 5, 2025Try your luck at our daily quiz.
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Which English king literally lost his head? Country Life Quiz of the Day, March 4 2025It's time for your daily dose of the confidently-remembered, the faintly-ringing bells and the wild guesses.
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Who was the king immediately before Queen Victoria? Country Life Quiz of the Day, March 3 2025It's time for your daily dose of the confidently-remembered, the faintly-ringing bells and the wild guesses.
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How did Shakespeare spell his name? Country Life Quiz of the Day, 28 February 2025It's our final Quiz of the Day for this week — best of luck.
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Spot the £30 million house, and Jagger's first ever Satisfaction: Country Life Quiz of the Day, 27 February 2025Have a go at our Quiz of the Day. Good luck!
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Rick Astley's breakthrough hit, Picasso vs. Van Gogh and guess the country house price: Quiz of the Day, 26 February 2025Have a go at our Quiz of the Day. Good luck!
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Hedgehogs, elephants and what is 'chromophobia'? Quiz of the Day, 25 February 2025Have a go at our Quiz of the Day. Good luck!
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Quiz of the Day: Four Weddings opening words, black squirrels and 'thundersnow'Have a go at our Quiz of the Day. Good luck!
