Places to visit
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Britain's most beautiful narrow-gauge railways, from Norfolk to Wales
Chris Arnot names the five British railways that every train lover should have on their bucket list.
By Country Life Published
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Six of the best city festivals around the world
Forget the tourist-ridden Carnival in Rio or Oktoberfest in Munich – the world is full of incredible festivals in locations that are wonderful places year-round, not just for a few days. Here's our pick of the best.
By Annunciata Elwes Published
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Celebrating 100 years since Cecil Chubb donated Stonehenge to the nation
Friday 26 October 2018 marks the centenary of Cecil Chubb's magnanimous gesture: turning Stonehenge over to the care of the nation. Annunciata Elwes explains how it came about.
By Annunciata Elwes Published
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Jason Goodwin: 'I was outraged. The bones of a king I’d barely heard of five minutes earlier had been spirited away – by foreigners!'
Our columnist takes a trip which sees him discover tales of murder, treason, desecration – and some rather pleasant gardens.
By Jason Goodwin Published
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The Oxford of Inspector Morse: Dreaming spires, dead bodies... and lots and lots of pubs
The Oxford of Inspector Morse: Dreaming spires, dead bodies... and lots and lots of pubs.
By Country Life Published
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The secret history of ice cream from Marco Polo to the Queen of Ices, a 'proto-Nigella in a pinny'
Ice cream is the subject of a new exhibition at the British Museum of Food. Emma Hughes went along to have a look – and, of course, a taste. It would have been rude not to.
By Emma Hughes Published
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In Focus: The hand-drawn maps from which JRR Tolkien launched Middle-earth
'I wisely started with a map and made the story fit,' JRR Tolkien once wrote. A new exhibition in Oxford – the writer's home for so many years – shows just how true that is, and offers a treasure trove for fans. Michael Murray-Fennell reports.
By Country Life Published
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Life after Downton Abbey: How Highclere Castle is moving on
Highclere Castle was made famous across the world as Downton Abbey – and the money that it generated saved this beautiful country home for future generations. But they're still moving onwards in a post-Downton world, as Octavia Pollock explains.
By Octavia Pollock Published
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12 fascinating facts about Somerset, from to King Arthur’s Avalon to the skeleton at the bottom of Cheddar Gorge
From the watery Levels and mystical Glastonbury Tor to the wild, heathery hills of Exmoor, Somerset is a vast, mainly rural county with origins that stretch back through the mists of time. Here are some fabulous facts about the stunning area.
By Rupert Uloth Published
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The original Art Deco lido that'll soon be as warm as a bathtub, thanks to Icelandic-style geothermal energy
An Art Deco lido in Penzance will soon boast bath-temperature waters thanks to new technology that uses heat tapped from within the Earth. Julie Harding reports.
By Country Life Published
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The Fens: In celebration of the magic of a landscape that’s fascinated us for centuries
The Fens are unique, man-made oddity where, paradoxically, few people live – yet they exert a strange magic that had endured for centuries.
By Clive Aslet Published
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Birdsong Barn: A holiday cottage getaway set in its own private nature reserve
Birdsong Barn, in the heart of England's '1066 Country', offers a unique break: a beautifully-converted building with a private 350-acre nature reserve on its doorstep. Toby Keel paid a visit.
By Toby Keel Published
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How Bristol's new Brunel museum takes its cues from Hollywood film Being John Malkovich
A new museum has been opened in Bristol which tries to give an insight – almost literally – into the mind of Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
By Annunciata Elwes Published
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In Focus: The Degas painting full of life, movement and 'orgies of colour'
Lilias Wigan takes a closer look at one of the key work's at the Degas exhibition at the National Gallery in London.
By Lilias Wigan Published
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Ten simply magnificent photographs of Pashley Manor, Britain's greatest tulip festival
Every year, Pashley Manor's stunning tulip festival attracts people from across the world to enjoy these beautiful blooms in a perfect English country setting. We've picked out some wonderful images from the festival, while Jacky Hobbs describes some of the history and his favourite varieties.
By Country Life Published
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Ten of the best places to visit in the UK, from top family day out to the place with the greatest loos
The winners of the 2018 UK Heritage Awards have been announced – these are the winners in the ten main categories.
By Toby Keel Published
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Britain’s great railway stations: Victorian eclecticism, modern genius and one that is a true work of art
Simon Jenkins lauds our most romantic and architecturally significant railway stations, some of the unsung triumphs of British conservation.
By Country Life Published