Country Life 17 January 2024

Country Life 17 January 2024 looks at beautiful bridges, delightful dahlias and the house that inspired Brideshead Revisited.

Here’s a look at some of what you’ll find inside:

Floral fireworks

Kirsty Fergusson visits the new home of the 1,700-strong National Collection of Dahlias and reveals which blooms to order now for late-summer colour

Cold cures

The beautiful and practical cast-iron Victorian cloche is making a comeback. Tiffany Daneff investigates the revival of the miniature glass house

Twist and shout

Tiffany Daneff visits Morton Hall Gardens in Worcestershire to discover the secret of its owner’s intriguing new clematis-training technique

Why, why, why weigela?

New forms of this easy-to-grow garden shrub have repeating flowers in wonderful colours — no wonder they are hot sellers, suggests Charles Quest-Ritson

Recommended videos for you

The garden of Albion

In the second of two articles, John Goodall examines the Arts-and-Crafts masterpieces of Madresfield Court, Worcestershire

They danced by the light of the moon

John Lewis-Stempel reflects on the many guises of the full moon and its historic link to the rhythm and cycles of rural life

The bridges of Britain

Our greatest bridges span the ages and have the power to inspire both awe and admiration, as Jack Watkins discovers

Andy Murray’s favourite painting

The former world number one tennis player chooses a bright and vibrant work underpinned by a deadpan sense of humour

The Elysian Hunt gains a subscriber

Jamie Blackett bids farewell to The Colonel, a no-nonsense countryman and a beacon of certainty in an uncertain age

The good stuff

Hetty Lintell chooses some glittering yellow-gold and diamond engagement rings

Interiors

Playful touches to a converted Victorian stable block catch the eye of Amelia Thorpe and Giles Kime applauds an advance in the design of barn conversions

Kitchen garden cook

Melanie Johnson promotes onions from supporting act to star of the culinary show

The play should be the thing

Spare the headgear gimmicks and over-the-top visual spectacle — it’s all about the play and the passion for Michael Billington