Tales from the countryside

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

Ancient rural skills in a modern world

When I was aged 10, the farmers used to come round the schools to pick volunteers to work on the farms during the summer holidays, mainly to help bring in the harvest. The country was still building u

The wonder of the world The beauty and ...

Will Bryer on coveting a hound’s sense of smell, novel excuses for falling off and having to accept his wife is always right

After a love-at-first-sight viewing, novelist Rudyard Kipling found peace and sanctuary within the walls of this Jacobean house, located in the wooded landscape of the Sussex Weald