Country Living UK January 2023

As I write this letter, we are hurtling towards Christmas and everyone on the CL team is looking forward to celebrating together for the first time since 2019. It seems unbelievable that our past two Christmas work parties have been virtual. So, this year, we’ll make the most of raising a glass in person – instead of on screen – and when our offices close on 23 December, we’ll be shutting our laptops and heading off to spend some uninterrupted time with family and friends. If, like us, you’re taking a well-earned break from the hurly-burly of workaday life, you’ll be pleased to know that our January issue is packed with stories to entertain you throughout the holiday period. Be inspired by the former lawyer now making award-winning marmalade (page 56)…

BACK FROM THE BRINK… Black poplars Constable captured black poplars in The Hay Wain, but 200 years later, these graceful trees, once a landscape staple, have become Britain’s rarest. Arboreal loners with individuals that produce only male or female flowers, there are now just 7,000 left – and with only 600 of them female, natural pollination is unlikely. At Quarry Bank in Cheshire, the National Trust and Chester Zoo has produced genetic black poplar clones, planting 12 pairs to up the chances of pollination. Plans to add 100 more in the next three years should help put these native icons back in the picture once again. woodlandtrust.org.uk TRY YOUR HAND AT… making natural dyes Turmeric for yellow, red cabbage for purple and beetroot for crimson, nature has all the colours you need to…

Follow @CLArtisans on Instagram to see more unique products from talented makers FOR STOCKISTS see Where to Buy…

Designed in collaboration with the interiors experts at Country Living magazine, Morland is a classic sofa that will stand the test of time. Spacious and sumptuous, with individually moulded, premium foam, no-plump seat cushions that feel incredibly plush and bounce back after use, this sofa is the perfect place to stretch out and relax at the end of a long day. Morland is available in a relaxed, pillow-back option (shown), with five coordinating feather-filled plaid or plain back cushions and two scatter cushions, or as a formal back sofa with deeply padded back and seat cushions and two free large scatters. In a wide range of natural colours, from elegant stone to rich chocolate, Country Living Morland comes in plain, plaid or striped options, and as a two-, three- or four-seater sofa…

“The Earth is resilient. We can save our planet if we commit to it” Yvon Chouinard, founder of outdoor clothing brand Patagonia, whose profit goes to the fight against the climate crisis MOOR REASON TO EXPLORE Moorlands are at their wildest in winter. Nature lovers and adventurous spirits can find out more about them, and the wildlife and plant species they support, with a free app. Explore Moor brings the landscape to life using photos, audio clips and descriptions of key species. It works without a phone signal or internet connection, so it can be used in remote locations. moorsforthefuture.org.uk DID YOU KNOW… …the Queen’s Green Canopy has been extended? More than one million trees have already been planted to mark the project, which was launched in 2021 for the Platinum Jubilee. Now, we have…

AN ORGANIC PUB? TELL US MORE I own The Bull Inn and Albatross in Totnes, Devon, a pub with 13 bedrooms, serving organic, ethical food. In 1998, I opened the first official organic pub, The Duke of Cambridge, in Islington, London. WHAT SETS THE BULL APART? We cook simply with organic, seasonal ingredients. All our dishes have veg at their heart. We consider the sustainability of everything from our electricity supply to our secondhand furniture. We call these our No-Bull Rules. SOUNDS LIKE HARD WORK. WHY DO IT? I grew up on a commune in Herefordshire, which shaped the way I saw the world. All the farming around us was conventional. When the crop sprayers came out, we’d shut all the windows because we understood that the chemicals were polluting. IS THE WORLD FINALLY CATCHING UP? When…