Country Life March 8 2017

Our guide to the 100 best builders, interior designers and gardeners; Cheltenham preview: plus meals for March.

Country Life March 8 2017

Country Life March 8 2017 features our guide to the 100 best builders, interior designers and gardeners; Cheltenham preview: plus meals for March. Find out more here:

ARCHITECTURE: John Goodall looks at the heroic campaign of restoration at Thirlestane Castle, Berwickshire

GARDENING: Renowned for its spring-flowering trees and bulbs, elegant Mere House in Kent has enjoyed a succession of keen gardeners to drive it forward, finds George Plumptre

WILDLIFE: Entranced by a tiny bird in the woods, Jay Griffiths explores the bewitching effect of the avian voice

OUR SECRET ADDRESS BOOK: If you’ve bought a country house and face the prospect of restoring it or simply want to improve the property you already have and are looking for help, Arabella Youens presents COUNTRY LIFE’s top 100 architects, interior designers, builders and garden designers

SPELT: Revered by the Romans, the ancient ‘marching grain’ is back on the menu. Vicky Liddell meets the farmers running on flour power

CHELTENHAM PREVIEW: Catherine Austen explains why the Cheltenham Festival is held in such affectionate reverence

COOKING: Simon Hopkinson bridges the gap between winter stews and spring greens with two sumptuously spicy dishes

ARTS: Michael Hall surveys an exhibition that traces the working relationship between Michelangelo and Sebastiano del Piomo as they united to beat their bitter rival Raphael

PROPERTY: Penny Churchill finds gold deep in the Surrey Hills and Clive Aslet investigates the importance of fire prevention

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Agnes Stamp

Agnes has worked for Country Life in various guises — across print, digital and specialist editorial projects — before finally finding her spiritual home on the Features Desk. A graduate of Central St. Martins College of Art & Design she has worked on luxury titles including GQ and Wallpaper* and has written for Condé Nast Contract Publishing, Horse & Hound, Esquire and The Independent on Sunday. She is currently writing a book about dogs, due to be published by Rizzoli New York in September 2025.