The 10 spiders you’ll find in the houses and gardens of Britain
Creepy. But cool.
The true meaning of Dumbledore, Chiggypig, Hornywink and Lang lugs, and the other old English animal names all but lost to us
If you think Dumbledore is just a fictional Wizard, then this article from the summer is for you.
Curious Questions: Are cows actually super-intelligent?
Cows possess secrets of which we poor Sapiens are unaware,' writes John Lewis-Stempel. 'Except that, after 20 years of cow-keeping, a few mysteries of the bovine brain have been unveiled to me. And I have moos for you.'
Curious Questions: How do starlings murmurate?
As the light dims on an autumnal or winter’s evening, starlings will rise from their communal roosting site and wheel and swoop as if one body,' writes Martin Fone, in this mesmerising article. It's as if they are 'under the command of a great choreographer in the sky.'
13 truly staggering images from Close-up Photographer of the Year 2021
An astonishing image of butterflies underwater, other-worldly images of funghi and a candid snap of a cheeky rodent were among the winners and runners-up for the 2021 Close-up Photographer of the Year awards.
The terrible truth about the cuckoo, and the ‘monstrous outrages’ it perpetrates on its foster parents and siblings
This was first published in 2020, but has proven enduringly popular — and it's not hard to see why. This piece was eye-opening and grim, but utterly gripping from start to finish.
10 majestic pictures of the beautiful nature of Britain, in honour of World Wildlife Day
In this article from World Wildlife Day on March 3rd, we looked at a series of simply stunning photographs that will leave you in awe of our natural world.
The 10 things you can do to help save hedgehogs
From creating a wild corner in gardens to safeguarding ponds, Hedgehog Street shared their top 10 tips with us in this post on how we can look after these prickly creatures — and it’s still as relevant now as ever.
The 8 best birdsongs you’ll hear in Britain
Back in February we challenged David Tomlinson to pick his ‘Desert Island Discs’ of birdsong, and it’s in every way as peaceful and soothing as you’d expect.
Curious Questions: Why does the air smell so good after it’s been raining?
That wonderful scent in the air when the rain stops falling has entranced people since the dawn of time — but what causes it? Martin Fone investigates.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
Credit: OPOTY/Anya Burnell
Eight breathtaking photographs from the Outdoor Photographer of the Year award
12 breathtaking images to inspire you to enter the International Garden Photographer of the Year
The fascinating — and slightly creepy — winners of the first-ever Bug Photographer of the Year awards
James Fisher celebrates some of the finest images hailed by judges at the Luminar Bug Photography Awards.
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'Love, desire, faith, passion, intimacy, God, spiritual consciousness, curiosity and adventure': The world of Stanley Spencer, a very English visionaryStanley Spencer’s talent for seeing the spiritual in the everyday, his stirring sense for the wonder of Nature and his love for the landscapes of Berkshire and Suffolk shaped his art, as Matthew Dennison reveals.
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Waldorf Astoria New York review: The Midtown hotel where Frank Sinatra once partied and the salad of the same name was invented emerges from a decade-long renovationOwen Holmes checks into the Waldorf Astoria New York hotel.
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Retro rubbish: Waste from the 90s unearthed in 97-mile-long beach cleanThe 6,482 volunteers unearthed waste discarded decades ago among the 232,229 pieces of litter recorded during the initiative.
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Dangerous beasts (and where to find them): Britain's animals that are best left aloneJohn Lewis-Stempel provides a miscellany of our otherwise benign land’s more fearsome critters.
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Mystery, muse and metaphor: There's more to fog than meets the eyeSmothering, transformative and beautiful, fog’s close-set shroud has inspired titans of literature, cinema and art — and forces the rest of us to look at the world a little closer.
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Take a bough: How — and why — you should plant a mature treeFor instant impact in a newly landscaped garden, there’s nothing quite like planting mature trees or native hedgerow plants for transformative and long-lasting results.
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'The view changes with the seasons, so there’s always something new to see': David Beckham on one of his favourite sights in the CotswoldsSir David Beckham discovered this Cotswolds view while looking for a house to buy.
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'It makes me feel as if I’ve done a good job as a father and that I did the right thing in wanting us to have a house here': David Beckham on why the countryside matters so much to him and his familySir David Beckham talks to Paula Minchin about discovering the joys of beekeeping and gardening.
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‘The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago; the second best time is now'Now is the time to firstly, hug a tree, and secondly, plant some more — in increasingly imaginative ways.
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The secret life of seeds: The little wonders that sustain all life on EarthThey might not be especially striking to look at — if you can see them at all — but seeds are among the natural world’s most awe-inspiring marvels.
