| Country Life | |
| Editor: | Mark Hedges |
| Previous Editor: | See editors section below |
| Frequency: | Weekly |
| Circulation: | 39,257 (ABC Jan – Dec 2015)[1] Print and digital editions |
| Category: | Lifestyle (rural) |
| Publisher: | Future plc |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Based: | London |
Country Life (stylised in all caps) is a British weekly perfect-bound glossy magazine that is published by Future plc. It was based in London at 110 Southwark Street until March 2016, when moved to Farnborough, Hampshire. In 2022, the magazine moved back to London at 121 – 141 Westbourne Terrace, Paddington.[2]
Country Life was launched in 1897,[3] [4] incorporating Racing Illustrated. At this time it was owned by Edward Hudson, the owner of Lindisfarne Castle and various Lutyens-designed houses including The Deanery in Sonning; in partnership with George Newnes Ltd[5] (in 1905 Hudson bought out Newnes).
At that time golf and racing served as its main content, as well as the property coverage, initially of manorial estates, which is still such a large part of the magazine. Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the late Queen Mother, used to appear frequently on its front cover. Now the magazine covers a range of subjects, from gardens and gardening to country house architecture, art and books, and property to rural issues, luxury products and interiors.
In 1997, the centenary of the magazine was celebrated by a special issue, the publishing of a book by Roy Strong, the broadcast of a BBC2 TV programme on a year in the life of the magazine, and staging a Gold Medal-winning garden at the Chelsea Flower Show. In 1999, the magazine launched a new website.
In 2007, the magazine celebrated its 110th anniversary with a special souvenir issue on 4 January.[6] Since May 2008 the magazine has been issued each Wednesday, having been on sale each Thursday for the past 111 years.
The first several dozen pages of each issue are devoted to colour advertisements for upmarket residential property
The magazine covers various aspects of rural life. It is primarily concerned with rural communities and their environments as well as the concerns of country dwellers and landowners and has a diverse readership which, although mainly UK based is also international.
The other rural pursuits and interests covered include hunting, shooting, farming, equestrian news and gardening and there are regular news and opinion pieces as well as rural politics. There are reviews of books, food and wine, art and architecture and antiques and crafts.[7] Illustrative material includes the Tottering-by-Gently cartoon by Annie Tempest.
Recent feature articles have included Charles, Prince of Wales guest-editing an issue of Country Life in 2013, a historic revelation which revealed the true face of Shakespeare for the first time in 2015, and in 2016 an exclusive on where the Great Fire of London began in 1666. There was a special commemorative issue in June 2016 on the occasion of the Queen's 90th birthday.
In March 2016, Country Life was featured in a three-part documentary series produced by Spun Gold which aired on BBC2 called Land of Hope and Glory, British Country Life.
Deputy editors:
Architectural editors [dates as architectural writer]:
Gardens editors:
(earlier versions cited Fred Whitsey as a gardens editor, but he was a distinguished contributor only,being in fact the Editor of sister publication Popular Gardening)
Staff architectural photographers: