A quest to find Horace Walpole’s missing Ottoman dagger unveiled a story of 16th-century diplomacy, Victorian theatre and a notorious heist

A good time to visit The Old Rectory in Doynton is as dusk falls on a frosty December evening. Driving in through the gate, you’ll be cheered by the sight of two illuminated Portuguese laurel cylinder

Dorfold Hall, Cheshire, part I The home of Charles and Dr Candice Roundell An outstanding Jacobean house was an unexpected product of dynastic disappointment. John Goodall examines the remarkable circumstances of its construction

I found it quite disconcerting, drinking a pint with Queen Boudicca and her Iceni warriors lurking behind me. I was in the Odd One Out, a quirky pub in Colchester and was getting used to finding histo

The quiet beauty of winter sets the stage in this garden, where topiary shapes and the borrowed landscape are the main performers

The garden in winter can often seem like something to be endured rather than enjoyed for gardeners who dash to garden centres at Easter, departing with cars brimful of petunias and bags of compost. Bu