country life: 125 years of countryside living in great britain from the archives of country li fe

Live the romance of the British countryside through this lavish tour of the seasons, landscapes, gardens, and great houses that epitomize British country life, as seen through the eyes of Country Life magazine.

For 125 years Country Life has presented its readers with the finest insider’s tour of everything quintessentially British. Now in one volume, this spectacular collection of images offers the best of life in the British countryside, from charming Cotswolds villages to panoramic views across the Yorkshire dales and Glastonbury for readers who will revel in tramping across the heather filled moors to see King Charles’s favorite view in all England, the white cliffs of Dover, and the Dark Hedges of Northern Ireland. Discover on these pages the culture and seasonal activities of country life, whether it be a gentleman farmer showing off his prize cattle, fly fishing in the Scottish highlands, swan upping on the Thames, or cricket on the village green.

Country Life is renowned for its unprecedented access to the magnificent castles and palaces, as well as private estates and manor houses that dot the countryside from Dorset to the Scottish highlands, revealing many to its fans for the first time. In this volume readers are treated to the loveliest and most important houses and gardens from the last century, from Holkham Hall, Chatsworth, and Burghley, to Munstead Wood, Sissinghurst, and Kelmscott.

This book satisfies readers’ seemingly insatiable desire to capture in their own lives a small slice of the romance of English countryside living.

Mark Hedges has been the editor-in-chief of Country Life for more than 15 years. John Goodall has been architectural editor at Country Life since 2007 and is the author of three books, including English House Style: From the Archives of Country Life. Kate Green is deputy editor of Country Life and the author of ten books. She has also worked as an equestrian reporter at four Olympic Games.