Love conquers all

From topless staddle stones outperforming complete ones to two versions of the same desk selling on the same day 212 miles apart, bizarre occurrences are par for the course at contents sales

In July 1575, Robert Dudley enlisted mythological figures to convince Elizabeth I to wed him. Exactly 450 years later, artist Lindsey Mendick reveals how and why she reinterpreted their encounter in her installation for Kenilworth Castle

What do an enigmatic Caped Crusader, a sopping-wet Mr Darcy and Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell have in common? Believe it or not, British country houses, says Ben Lerwill, as he set-jets around the countryside

Shop of the month Bennison Fabrics, No 16, ...

The garden of Knowle House, East Sussex George Dillistone’s original Arts-and-Crafts design has been lovingly restored and updated with contemporary planting, discovers George Plumptre

Three stellar estates in Wales and Staffordshire show how careful restoration is always worth the effort