Country Life February 8 2017

Country Life February 8 2017 explores the secret life of police dogs; takes a walk in the Brecons; and reveals the hottest stoves. Find out more here:

ARCHITECTURE: In the first of two articles, John Martin Robinson looks at the Georgian evolution of Crichel in Dorset, which has, wrapped within its 1770s exterior, a 1740s house

GARDENS: Tim Longville is guided through the sculptor’s garden at Hamblyn’s Coombe, Devon, and learns the dos and don’ts of creating a suitable setting for outdoor art

ROOKS: Charles Bingham tells the timeless tale of one remarkable rook on a Wiltshire farm that survived hunger, boys with catapults and attacks from bigger birds

COMPASSES: Never mind satnav, it was the compass that revolutionised the way we travel. Jonathan Self navigates its story, from ancient China to the Second World War

POLICE DOGS: When it comes to detective work, our police force owes as much to its canine constables and their handlers as it does to officers on the beat, discovers Tessa Waugh

INTERIORS: Trying to decide whether he should have a wood-burning stove or a traditional fireplace, Giles Kime selects the best and most stylish examples

JEWELLERY: After 144 years trading in New Bond Street, the celebrated jeweller S. J. Phillips is moving to new premises. Diana Scarisbrick pays a nostalgic last visit to London’s most atmospheric treasure house

COOKING: There’s no beating the French when it comes to giving your moules a little ooh la la, insists Simon Hopkinson

PROPERTY: London’s race for space shows promise, says Penny Churchill and Annunciata Walton finds out what’s happening around the market

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