To walk around a midwinter garden on a fine day when everything has shrunk down to its essential elements is like walking around a gallery. You can take your time, see things with fresh eyes and be ch

The Bank of England, Threadneedle Street, London EC2

There is something undeniably enchanting about this 16th-century farmhouse in Dorset, especially during the festive period. The open fire in the sitting room roars, the soft glow of candlelight fills

This week’s dream: a little corner of Blighty ...

Chess sets and backgammon boards are a familiar sight on drawing-room tables, but one expert Highland woodworker is refashioning their forms in beautiful new ways, writes Mary Miers

I had watched Richard III meet a bloody end at Bosworth, come face to face with a plague victim, stood in the shadow of a mighty trebuchet, and been put on trial for my life. And it was barely lunchti