Here's a look at some of the highlights you'll find inside.
Austen and the country house
Jeremy Musson examines country-house architecture in the novels of Jane Austen
Like a child with a new toy
Claire Jackson marvels at the craftsmanship and ingenuity of Britain’s best toymakers
Strong flavours to savour
Piquant and punchy savouries are bite-sized dishes to delight, suggests Tom Parker Bowles
Sip, sip hooray!
Eleanor Doughty asks the wine experts to select their favourite tipples for the Christmas period
Christmas gift guide
Hetty Lintell has the festive season all wrapped up with 10 pages of perfect presents
Oliver Mears’s favourite painting
The Royal Opera House director of opera selects a powerful work
Masterpiece
Jack Watkins assesses Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, a true children’s-book classic
A brush with history
The traditional art of marbling paper is alive and well in Wiltshire, as Julie Harding discovers
A call to arms
John F. Mueller delves into the history of heraldry and explains how to create a coat of arms
Grate expectations
Emma Hughes goes behind the scenes as cheesemonger Paxton & Whitfield turns 225
Interiors
Melanie Johnson and Amelia Thorpe bring a host of inspiring ideas to the festive table
The Editor’s choice
Country Life Editor Mark Hedges on his favourite things
If the shoes fit
Zeb Soanes puts his best foot forward on a visit to the London shop of shoe-maker John Lobb
A gardener’s Christmas
Florist Paul Hawkins shows Tiffany Daneff how to fashion decorations from the garden
Kitchen garden cook
Melanie Johnson on Swiss chard
‘The once and future king’
Matthew Dennison considers the portrayal of King Arthur in art
And much more besides.
