This week's issue of Country Life — and how to subscribe or get your copy
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Country Life 2 April 2025 celebrates smaller country houses, visits Portmeirion and is wowed by the magnolias of Maurice Foster.
Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside:
The imitation game
Harry Pearson seeks out the cunningly disguised pillboxes created to be Britain’s last line of Second World War defence
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Interiors
The art of conversation can be aided by a carefully configured drawing room, says Emma Burns of Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler
All ‘Clough-ed up’
Ben Lerwill marks 100 years of Portmeirion in North Wales, the outlandish architectural creation of Sir Clough Williams-Ellis
Property market
Arabella Youens casts her eye over compact country estates in Dorset, Devon and Hertfordshire
A prince among plantsmen
Charles Quest-Ritson is wowed by the memorable magnolias among the 6,000 plants in the Kent garden of Maurice Foster
Travel
Libby Brodie and Rosie Paterson explore the magnificent Maldives and Pamela Goodman shares not so fond memories of cheese fondue
Zoë Wanamaker’s favourite painting
The actress chooses a vibrant work bursting with the light, colour and energy of spring
A house of many inspirations
Jeremy Musson marvels at the amazing transformation of 300-year-old farm buildings at High Wardington House, Oxfordshire
The legacy
Kate Green pays tribute to Joe Henson, a ‘true gentleman’ who led the way in safeguarding some of our favourite native breeds
From this slumber you shall wake
Numbers have plummeted in the past 20 years, but plans are afoot to revive the fortunes of the hazel dormouse, reveals Jack Watkins
The good stuff
Immortalise your beloved pet in a beautiful piece of bespoke jewellery, suggests Hetty Lintell
London Life
Amie Elizabeth White embarks on the capital’s Big Egg Hunt, Country Life writers present all the titbits you need to know this month and Huon Mallalieu takes a trip down memory lane as he recalls the colourful characters of Booksellers’ Row
Foraging
John Wright lauds elderflower for its ‘scent beyond compare’
Arts & antiques
Carla Passino delves into the beauty, birds and beasts in the kingdom of J. M. W. Turner
Close to your chest
Huon Mallalieu investigates how the chest of drawers has gradually made itself at home in every room of the house
A song of the four seasons
Henrietta Bredin applauds the fusing of poetry and music in the exquisite song cycle ‘Seasons’
Country Life is unlike any other magazine: the only glossy weekly on the newsstand and the only magazine that has been guest-edited by HRH The King not once, but twice. It is a celebration of modern rural life and all its diverse joys and pleasures — that was first published in Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year. Our eclectic mixture of witty and informative content — from the most up-to-date property news and commentary and a coveted glimpse inside some of the UK's best houses and gardens, to gardening, the arts and interior design, written by experts in their field — still cannot be found in print or online, anywhere else.
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The birds of urban paradise: How to get twitching without leaving the city
You don't need to leave the concrete jungle to spot some rare and interesting birds. Here's a handy guide to birdspotting in Britain's towns and cities.
By Richard Smyth Published
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The 'breathtakingly magnificent' English country gardens laid out on the Amalfi Coast, and the story of how they got there
Kirsty Fergusson follows the Grand Tour to Campania in Italy, where the English combined their knowledge and love of plants with the rugged landscape to create gardens of extraordinary beauty.
By Kirsty Fergusson Published
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The poisonous tree lighting up your garden, and name that Farrow & Ball colour: Country Life Quiz of the Day, April 4, 2025
Plus classic children's literature and one of Europe's most beautiful cities in Friday's quiz.
By Toby Keel Published
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From tropical paradise to Tony Benn: Country Life Quiz of the Day, April 3, 2025
Batman's butler makes a cameo appearance in Thursday's quiz.
By Toby Keel Published
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The Hollywood legend with an even more famous daughter: Country Life Quiz of the Day, April 2, 2025
From buns to bubbly in Wednesday's Quiz of the Day.
By Toby Keel Published
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Who wrote The Tenant of Wildfell Hall? Country Life Quiz of the Day, March 31, 2025
There's angora, aluminium and the biggest English star of the silent movie era in Monday's Quiz of the Day.
By Toby Keel Published
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How many puppies in the average litter? Country Life Quiz of the Day, March 27, 2025
Plus a 1960s house, Hollywood's most famous cavewoman and more in Friday's quiz.
By Toby Keel Published
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New York v Tokyo v Rome: Country Life Quiz of the Day, March 27, 2025
Use your wits, knowledge and blind guesswork to navigate the path of cute pigs, somnambulists and iconic world cities in Thursday's quiz.
By Toby Keel Published
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Sitting on the dock of Morecambe Bay: Country Life Quiz of the Day, March 26, 2025
The English coast, a classic proverb and the red admiral butterfly all star in Wednesday's quiz.
By Toby Keel Published
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Name that hat! Country Life Quiz of the Day, March 25, 2025
Tuesday's quiz has a wartime property for sale, plus popes, linoleum and more.
By Toby Keel Published