Tucked away in the south-east corner of the UK, within easy reach from London, Kent has long been known as ‘the garden of England’: a patchwork of rolling hills, lush fields and leafy vineyards, dotte

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They punctuate the British landscape like few other buildings - Clare Hunt looks at the not-so humble cottage

Catherine Clarke A History of England in 25 Poems400pp. Allen Lane. £25. Mark Forsyth Rhyme and ReasonA short history of poetry and people (forpeople who don’t usually read poetry)368pp. Allen & Unwin

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The production of rice, baked beans and melons in the UK suggests a rosy future for the UK’s food self-sufficiency. But, asks Michael Barker, are such crops a sustainable solution or just an exercise in what’s possible?