Who are you calling prickly?

Ancient rural skills in a modern world

For 45 years, Jill Barklem’s ‘Brambly Hedge’ series has been captivating young readers. Emily Allen explores her magical miniature world

Feeling swish MY father, the Revd Dr Stephen ...

Throughout August I cut the box hedges that give shape to the vegetable garden. They’re just under waist height but that’s enough to protect most plants from the wind and they are a good dark backgrou

As he coaxes a galumphing porcine up to her summer abode on a bright July morning, John Lewis-Stempel considers whether it was an uphill struggle or simply a pig of a day

Gentle, soulful and elegant, greyhounds inspire unending devotion among their many admirers–not least Dame Jilly Cooper and Twiggy–discovers Katy Birchall