Nature

The Legacy: Sir Joseph Banks, the naturalist who created Kew

The Lincolnshire landowner who was described by David Attenborough as a 'passionate naturalist' and 'the great panjandrum of British science'.

The very nature of Middle Earth — how Tolkien's passion for the countryside inspired the Lord of the Rings

A Nature writer at heart, J. R. R. Tolkien drew on his love of the Malvern Hills and the surrounding countryside to paint his fantasy realm, says James Clarke

A dairy farmer's view of Jaipur, the city where traffic stops for sacred cows

Jamie Blackett files his final Farming Life column from the pink city in India, and reflects on how different cultures treat their methane-producing ruminants.

Some of the silliest animals on the planet, captured by you

The latest edition of the Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards is once again open for entries, celebrating the light side of the natural world.

A walk across the Cheshire Plain, the 200-million-year-old landscape where yesterday’s old industrial sites are today’s nature reserves

Fiona Reynolds heads out for a walk on the Cheshire Plain, where industry and farming are juxtaposed to startling effect.

The RNLI's 200-year journey from being set up in a pub to saving tens of thousands of lives

The brave men and women of the RNLI have been working for two centuries to save the lives of those whose vessels have run in to trouble in the seas around Britain. In 2024 this national institution is celebrating its 200th anniversary in style.

The Legacy: Miriam Rothschild, the pioneer of organic and wildflower gardening

The celebrated entomologist and Bletchley Park codebreaker was also way ahead of the times when it came to gardening.

The woodlark: the British songbird that is the ultimate masked singer

Its melody is sweeter than the nightingale's, yet the elusive woodlark seems destined to delight only a fortunate few.

How planting trees can fight flooding and improve your soil

Record-breaking rainfall and a changing climate convinced Leicestershire farmer Rachael Spence that she needed to find a way to combat flooding and improve her soil. The answer? Planting more trees, which have helped reduce flood risk and future-proof her land and business.

The Isle of Skye and the world’s last manual turntable ferry

You may no longer see droves of cattle crossing the waters to the Isle of Skye, but the world’s last manual turntable ferry is almost as quaint a sight, says Joe Gibbs.

John Lewis-Stempel: The beauty of the beach in winter

On a dull February morning, John Lewis-Stempel is consumed by childhood memories of the allure of the seashore, from the rhythmic, cresting waves and slippery seaweed of all shapes and hues to the shell-studded sand.

Joe Gibbs: Even the patron saint of salmon can't save these fish from the seals

After a disastrous 2023 fishing season, Joe Gibbs is hoping for better.

'The equation is inescapable. Our rich societies will simply have to pay the proper price for food'

Country Life's columnist Agromenes urges us to take a cold, hard look at the way we grow and consume food.

Opinion: Why the 'threat' of a new National Park has Galloway farmers up in arms

Galloway farmer Jamie Blackett on duck dating, snowdrop splitting, welcoming avian visitors and manning the barricades against an unwanted national park.

Fiona Stafford: The myth of the unchanging countryside

Professor Fiona Stafford joins James Fisher to talk about the constantly changing landscape around us.

Going wild for daffodils: 'Nothing beats daffodils as a symbol of spring... they tell us that winter is gone and will not come again'

The season of daffodils is upon us.

'Stonehenge of the North' saved for the nation

The future of the Neolithic site at Thornborough Henges — which has been dubbed 'The Stonehenge of the North' — has been secured, and the site saved for the nation. Annunciata Elwes reports.

Helen Rebanks: Farming, food, the meaning of life... and dogs stealing birthday cakes

Helen Rebanks, the bestselling author who became Britain's favourite farmer's wife, joins the Country Life podcast.

Curious Questions: What really happened to the Flying Dutchman?

Tales of phantom ships are as old as time itself, but the story of the Flying Dutchman has haunted sailors for generations.

Six of the most beautiful waterfalls in Britain, from Devon to the Isle of Skye

Surging, foaming, trickling, crashing, cascading or flowing, waterfalls paint the landscape with rainbow-scattered spray and misty plumes. Here, we celebrate these streaks of molten silver, from wild moor to woodland dell, as picked out by our picture editor Lucy Ford.