What do our beloved hostelries have to do with the discovery of DNA, the D-Day landings and The Lord of the Rings ? Everything, as Ashleigh Arnott discovers

From voyages to battles, gods to monsters, heroics to cowardice, the Viking sagas explore all of these themes in magnificent detail

A riot of coloured bark, an emblem of resilience and final rest, an integral part of rural life and blessed relief from a headache: the willow tree has little to weep about, finds Deborah Nicholls-Lee

IT began as an unremarkable day. Leaves falling into mud on the riverbank, the sun shy behind ink splodged clouds. Jays screeching in the oakwood. I stopped. Mammal tracks drew my eyes. I knelt. These

Adrian Thomas outlines the simplest and most effective ways to help accommodate these important guests

Far more than a walking aid, a properly made stick is a tangible–not to mention very useful– link to the land itself, says Gabriel Stone