Country Life

Published by TI Media Limited Country Life, the quintessential English magazine, is undoubtedly one of the biggest and instantly recognisable brands in the UK today. It has a unique core mix of contemporary country-related editorial and top end property advertising. Editorially, the magazine comments in-depth on a wide variety of subjects, such as architecture, the arts, gardens and gardening, travel, the countryside, field-sports and wildlife. With renowned columnists and superb photography Country Life delivers the very best of British life every week.

Ms Claire Strickett • Claire is a writer, brand strategist and co-author of Which Wine When: What to Drink with the Food You Love. She is the daughter of the late Douglas Strickett and Janet Brun of Chestfield, Kent, and stepdaughter to Rupert Brun of Chestfield, Kent.

National pride

Country Life

Town & Country

Town & Country Notebook

Stuff & nonsense

Letters to the Editor

All carrot and no stick

Athena • Cultural Crusader

My favourite painting Lizzie Ball • A Chaos in Theory by Jadé Fadojutimi

Country-house treasures

A leading subject • In November 1844, Queen Victoria visited Burghley House as part of a programme of travel aimed to introduce her subjects to Prince Albert. John Martin Robinson describes the event

George MacDonald Fraser and Flashman

Whisker business • From seafaring heroes of the Armed Forces to the solemn halls of Westminster, cats have a long and distinguished, but often overlooked, tradition of helping out in the workplace, discovers James Fisher

They may be giants • The majesty, mythology and biodiversity of Britain’s ancient woodland are beyond compare. John Lewis-Stempel peers through the canopy and discovers what lies beneath

The proverbial slippery customer • With a multitude of folk names and even more myths surrounding it, the European eel is tricky to get a grip on in every sense

Spats the way to do it • Once a signifier of hard work, then a marker of wealth and standing, spatterdashes–to give them their full name–could make or break an Englishman’s outfit. Deborah Nicholls-Lee investigates the eventful history of the ‘accessory par excellence’

Easter parade • This year’s clutch of luxury eggs and seasonal chocolate creations are edible works of art. COUNTRY LIFE picks the biggest, boldest and best

Holding back the years • Weighing up the future of an ageing hen on a misty March morning, John Lewis-Stempel finds himself recalling a formative introduction to farming

Luxury Notebook

A few of my favourite things • Jason ‘Foxy’ Fox served in the British Army for 20 years, including as a Royal Marines Commando and a Special Forces operative. He is best known as an instructor and presenter on Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins, as well as for endurance expeditions raising money for charity, and has written three books about his experiences, tackling mental-health issues. He now delivers talks on leadership, performance and mental health. ‘Jason Fox: Embrace the Chaos’ is touring until April 9.

Cream of the crop • The kitchen garden’s bounty is echoed by equally enticing jewels

Soak in splendour • Luxurious bathroom fittings to elevate the everyday, selected by Amelia Thorpe

The West Country’s spring surge • From the coast to the chalk hills of the South-West, a new crop of country houses blends elegance, riveting history, sweeping views and acres of gardens and parkland

Game, set and match • Ace country living with homes that come with their very own tennis courts for some spirited sporting fun and (hopefully) sun-soaked socialising

Pursuit with panache • The French hounds with a nose for adventure

In dogged pursuit...